Spirits: Book Three - The Spirit World
by Kuaishu
Summary: Following the battle in the South Pole, Avatar Aang and Katara are forced to cross into the Spirit World in order to track down the Avatar's greatest adversary yet, and the world's biggest threat. In the Mortal World, the Firelord and his companions are fighting a war of their own, an unlikely ally by their side as fire, water, and spirits clash. Can either world survive? KATAANG.
1. Into the Spirit World

**A/N: Hello readers old and new, we finally made it! Two years later, and we're finally on Book Three!**

 **If you're new to this story, please be sure to check out Parts One and Two before getting started on this new journey. If you're not ... well, let's get started.**

"You know, if you need to rest that's fine. I'm not going to be thinking any less of you."

It had been several hours since two young travelers found themselves in an altogether strange and unfamiliar world, even to the one who had been here before. He, dressed in a sleeveless tunic, a red robe thrown over his shoulder, using a long stick to compensate for the heavy limp on his right left, trudged onward with a somewhat grim determination. Beside him, her pace slowed to stay in line with his, a young woman with long brown hair walked, hands holding onto the straps of her pack sitting high upon her back.

"I'm fine," the young man replied, in a tone that suggested to the contrary. He shrugged his shoulder to settle his own pack higher up his back. The woman cocked an eyebrow, her eyes darting from the sweat beaded on his temple and the notable limp in his gait, her patience wearing thin.

"Yes yes, you've bravely soldiered on for much longer than you need to," she teased, trying to keep her tone easy. "Though personally I don't think that's admirable, just stupid." The man cast her a dark look. "Come on, we both know that this sign or whatever it is you're looking for doesn't have anything to do with how far we walk."

The man stopped, looking at their surroundings before letting out a submissive smile. Katara, at least, hadn't know what to expect when the pair of them had stepped into the decaying portal back in the South Pole, having never been to the spirit world before, but Aang had arrived full expecting to see some clear sign of what he should do next and where they should head. He had been disappointed, however, to find himself standing in what appeared to be a cave crafted entirely from ice, the blood trail that had been so prominent back in the Pole now completely absent. Though encouraged that he and Katara both had arrived in one piece, with their minds for the most part intact, he hadn't been able to fight the bitter disappointment that had settled in when he looked about them. Katara had turned, placing a hand on his arm, silently questioning their next move, and with a nod he had led them forwards, out of the ice cave and into the barren cold land beyond. Over rock and under and orange sky they pair had walked, Katara watching him with a growing concern, the words of the Air Acolyte they had left behind heavy on her mind, whilst the Avatar had simply prayed that some clue or sign would come to him.

"Look," Katara continued bluntly, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm, "I realised hours ago that you have no idea where you're going. And that's ok. We're both tired and you can hardly walk, so let's stop and gather ourselves before we go any further."

Beaten, Aang looked across at her. Though her tone was droll, her large blue eyes cast over with him concern. Her worry made him angry, an emotion he was becoming more and more familiar with, but he was able to gather himself.

"Alright," he mumbled, his shoulder slumping. Katara looked around them, searching for some form of shelter on the flat, dull landscape. Spotting some large jagged rocks forming an overhang not far ahead of them she grabbed his arm and pulled him forwards. If he wasn't so exhausted and so busy fighting back his desire to snap at her, he would have found her authoritative directing appealing, but instead he shuffled after her, no longer bothering to hide the wince the came with each step. As they reached the overhang, the pair pulled their heavy packs from their backs, dropping them to the ground. Aang didn't wait for Katara to pull the sleeping bags from her back before he too dropped to the ground, groaning as he stretched out his leg and resting his back against the rock. Holding one of the sleeping back, Katara looked at him with worried eyes.

"You've taken on way too much too soon, Aang," she said, and though her tone was soft the irritation flashing in her blues was not missed. She draped the bag over him, and he looked up at her with a pained smile of gratitude before she once more looked around them. "There's some water over there. Stay here and I'll see if another healing session can help with the pain.

Aang very much wanted to reach out and pull her back. Though he could see the thin stream not far from them on the flat rock he none-the-less felt very uncomfortable with her going anywhere without him. They had yet to encounter any other life at all in their short journey, but he wasn't about to let himself be fooled into any sense of safety. The Avatar in the spirit world was one thing, but his very mortal and spiritless girlfriend was another matter entirely. But, before he could reach her, she had walked off, and he could only watch with baited breath as she made her way to the stream. _Idiot_ , his cold thoughts said, in a voice like his, but not quite, _idiot is going to get herself killed_. His held his breath the entire time, exhaling only once she was back with him, a small cup of water in hand. She dropped to his side, glancing up to see the seething look on his face. She chose to ignore it however, reaching forward to pull back the sleeping bag.

"Trousers."

Aang bit his tongue. "I sure hope a spirit doesn't waltz up about now," he growled, untying his sash. All of Sokka's old tunics may be sleeveless, but he found himself thankful that they were at least longer than his own.

Katara soon set to work, bending the water around his thigh, covering the fresh pink scars as it began to glow. Aang hissed and grit his teeth as the pain intensified at first, but let out a puff of relief as the sharpness eased into little more than a dull ache. Even his mood shifted, the anger gently sliding aside. For five minutes she worked on him, easing the water up his hip to try and lessen the impact his limp had on his joints, before skillfully dropping each drop back into the cup.

"Thank you," he said, retying his sash and leaning back against the rock wall once more.

"I just wish you hadn't pushed yourself so hard," she sighed in return. "If you don't rest and let this heal it might never get better."

"It'll get better, I'm the Avatar," he flashed her a crooked grin and she rolled her eyes.

"Glad to see you've got your humour back again, at least." She reached into her pack and pulled out some kindling, holding it out for him as he gladly obliged and lit the end of one of them. Walking into the spirit world with their physical bodies certainly had it's advantages. He watched as she set about making them some dinner, his stomach suddenly churning with guilt.

"You don't have to do that," he said, leaning forwards and offering to take the pot of rice. She pulled it away from him.

"Didn't I just tell you to rest?"

"Well, technically you said if I didn't rest then my left might not get better," he quipped with a grin. She shook her head, continuing to set up a cup of rice and water over the fire to boil. "Seriously, Katara, you've done more than enough today already."

"I don't have a problem cooking us some dinner, Aang." She grabbed a couple bowls and placed them between them. "But if it really bothers you you can make breakfast, deal?"

Aang sighed, relenting, leaning back against the rock. He watched her as she worked, stirring the rice in the pot, her movements so elegant and strong, a slight crease to her brow. He knew that something wasn't right in him, he had felt strange, colder, since the moment he had awoken after his attack, and the feeling had only grown stronger since he had been in the spirit world. But as much as his fury threatened to take hold, as he looked at her, pushing her hair back behind her ears, he still somehow felt peace. He smiled, wondering how so simple a movement could ease him this way.

"Grubs up," she announced, spooning rice into their bowls. Aang looked away quickly, hoping she hadn't caught him staring at her, though the slight blush on her cheeks suggested otherwise. Gratefully he took his bowl and chopsticks, his stomach growling in anticipation. Neither of him, in their confused states, had realised quite how hungry they were. It had been two days, at least, since Aang had eaten anything.

"So, what do we do?" Katara asked, her blue eyes flickering towards his. He avoided her gaze, suddenly finding his bowl of rice very interesting. He stabbed at his food a few times before she repeated his name gently.

"I don't know," he admitted, his throat constricted. "It was supposed to make sense once we got here. I thought maybe if we kept walking we'd find Tonrar's trail, or one of the past Avatar's. But instead, we've just found rock. Rock and more rock." Bitterly he looked out at the stony landscape, nostrils flaring. "What a joke that was."

"So, what about the past Avatar's?" Katara urged, leaning forwards. "What if you try contacting them somehow?"

Aang scoffed. He knew that was not possible, he knew that he could not open himself up in any way whilst in the spirit world, not in the state he was in. The Avatar Spirit was angry, he felt that, and waiting for any opportunity to take control. Katara watched him, biting her lip.

"Well, you said that you think the past Avatar's made contact whilst you were unconscious. What did they say?"

Aang looked darkly down at his food. "I don't remember what they said, exactly. I just remember that there was someone ... someone who was supposed to tell me what to do about Tonrar ..."

"Sansetsu?" Katara placed her empty bowl on the floor, grabbing her own sleeping bag and shuffling closer. He looked up at her, wondering how she could possibly know the name. "You mentioned him, after you came around." She frowned. "It seemed familiar somehow ... like I had heard it before."

Aang remembered now, the memory that had eluded him since he had woken so dazed after fighting Tonrar. He recognised the name too, he had read it before.

"He's one of the airbending Avatar's before me ... maybe the one before Yangchen, maybe earlier, I don't know. But I read about him in one of the scrolls we found at the Eastern Air Temple." At that, Katara's eye lit up, as she clicked her fingers.

"Yes! Oh, Aang, I forgot to tell you with everything that went on ... back in the Southern Air Temple I found something in the room the top of the dorms-"

"You went up there?" Aang interrupted sharply, rounding on her so suddenly it almost made her jump.

"Yes, I-"

"Why would you do that?" Aang snapped, brow furrowed. Katara, initially confused by the attack, made to defend herself, but she remembered Xing Ying's words once more, and the twisted nature of his chi as she had healed him just moments before. Aang was not himself.

"Aang you need to calm down," she said, her tone gentle yet firm. One of Aang's eyes twitched, as he made to lash out at her again, but he seemed to regain control, breathing slowly through his nose.

"I went up there because I wanted to see," she said. "I wanted to see how many, because I know once this is over we need to go back there, and we need to bury them properly."

Aang's face softened, and he looked away. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok ... I get it." She rubbed her temple. "At the top I found a book, it had the names, birth dates, and death dates of what I could only assume was all the airbenders born at the Temples."

Aang looked back at her, eyebrows raised. Even in all of his time growing in the Southern Air Temple, he had never had a chance to look at this book, which was always held up in the room of the Master Air Nomad, a man as private as he was wise. That Katara had found such an incredible item left him feeling both excited and mournful.

"Really?" he gasped. "That's amazing ... I knew it existed but I didn't know it would have survived the fires."

"You were in there," Katara continued, eased at Aang's rising mood again. "With the names of your parents, and theirs before them." Aang made a strange face, almost like he was going to ask a question but thought better of it. It was then that it dawned on her that perhaps even Aang did not know who his parents had been. "Did ... did you know who they were?"

Aang shrugged. Like any child not brought up by their parents, he had wondered, but it was part of his culture not to know. The airbenders did not marry, like other cultures, they were raised by monks to keep themselves elevated above worldly desires such as family. As a child it had seemed freeing, but the longer he spent away from the Nomads, the longer he was a part of Katara's world, the more he realised how very limiting it had really been.

"We weren't supposed to know," he replied. "Air Nomad culture was ... different from yours. My birth father could have been in the same temple as me and I wouldn't have known."

"But that's-" Katara stopped herself. They were heading off track, but she had to admit she was curious. Aang had always been such a free spirited and loving person, and yet it seemed their very relationship was so different from what the Air Nomads had had. To not know who his parents were ... would he too have been expected to have children that would be raised by monks never to know who he was? It baffled her.

"We were all family," Aang explained, sensing her curiosity. "Gyatso was my father, as much as any of the other monks, and my friends were my brothers. The family unit wasn't the same as what it is in the rest of the world."

"I can understand that," Katara continued. "I mean, Toph, Suki, Zuko ... they're my family too, even if we're not related. It's kind of beautiful. But what was there to be lost by knowing who your parents were? Did ... did Air Nomads not fall in love?"

"They did," Aang replied. "But we're getting of subject," he added, causing Katara to frown slightly at his unwillingness to talk more on the matter. "You said you found the census?"

"I did," Katara sighed. "I was flicking through it when I came across something that stood out. It was a name, but there was no date of death, and it had been crossed out."

"Crossed out?"

"Yes, and that name never appeared again ... there are some names that are common among the Air Nomads, and most seem to appear more than once. There was another Aang that I saw, too. But this name never appeared again, almost like no one wanted to use it."

"Sansetsu," Aang said, frowning. He suddenly rubbed his temple, grunting. "There was something about the way the past Avatar's spoke about him ... or maybe about how he talked. I don't think he was a great Avatar."

"I suppose that would be enough reason to have him removed from the census."

"But the Air Nomads didn't do stuff like that," Aang replied. "Unless he did something really bad ..."

"Well, if he's the one we're supposed to be looking for, I guess we'll find out."

Aang fell silent, frowning out across the stony plateau. Katara nudged him gently, a smile on her lips.

"Whatever it was, it can't have been that bad. He was an air nomad, after all."

Momentarily cheered by her positivity, yet still not convinced, Aang nodded. "I suppose you're right."

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" she asked gently, nodding to his leg. Aang stretched it out more, relieved at only the smallest ache, and nodded.

"I think so." He cast a dark glare across their surroundings. "Though I'd feel a lot better if I stayed on lookout."

"Aang, Tonrar isn't going to sneak up on is here," Katara reasoned. "And if he did I'm sure you'd feel him coming longer before he reached us. Just get some sleep, you need it."

Truthfully, he was exhausted, and now that his stomach was full and the fire blazed he could feel his eyelids starting to grow heavy. He didn't care to admit to her just how difficult the past few hours had been, and the genuine fear that his leg had been damaged beyond any chance of repair, much like his mind. But as he sat in an almost silent landscape, his entire body a dull ache, he began to realise that staying strong wasn't always an option. Katara watched him closely, clearly aware of the conflict behind his eyes, and she reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

"If I hear or see anything, or even think I do, I will wake you up straight away," she promised. With a heavy sigh he nodded, before resting his head back and closing his eyes. Sleep took him almost immediately.

~

 _You can't stay here._

 _You can't hope to catch him._

 _Whilst you fight against the Avatar State you fight against us._

 _Keep searching._

 _You have to keep walking._

 _We can't come to you._

 _Come to us._

~

He woke with a start, his eyes snapping open with a sharp intake of breath. _I don't know where you are_ , he thought as his eyes searched blindly. _I can't use the Avatar State ... I don't understand what you want_. Then, as his eyes began to adjust to the bright light, his fog of confusion passed and the voices became but whispers, replaced with understanding. He was in the spirit world, the orange sky swirling above him, and an endless landscape of hard rock below him. He raised a hand to his head, rubbing hard against his forehead to try and clear what remained of the fog. As he pulled his hand away, he grew aware of a weight across his legs and looked down. At some point Katara had fallen asleep, and she lay with her head across his lap, snoring lighting with her mane of hair across her face. Despite waking from what must have been a fitful nights sleep, his body aching terribly, a smile rose to his lips as he looked down at her and her somewhat in-elegant form. He'd never tell her of course, but he had learned early on that Katara, in all her beauty, was never a sleeping princess. She wouldn't lie delicately placed on top of her soft sheets, hair neatly placed around her with palms under her cheek. She slept deeply, sometimes with hair in her mouth and blankets screwed up underneath her, and if possible he found he only adored her more for it. Still smiling his reached forward, gently brushing her hair from her face and, with a small moan she began to stir. She yawned, stretching her arms forward, before rolling onto her back to look at him. For a blissful moment they just smiled at each other, peace filling their hearts, before she pulled herself up, running a hand through her thick hair.

"I'd ask what time it was but I'm not sure it really matters for much here," she said with a yawn, looking around. "Did you sleep well?"

"I think sleeping against the rock wasn't one of my better decisions," he replied, sitting up and groaning as he stretched out his back. "But I feel better."

"Good," Katara began to hunt in her pack, frowning as she pulled bedding and clothes aside. "So, what's the plan of action today?" she asked, somewhat distractedly.

"We keep walking," Aang replied, without any hesitation. Katara froze, looking back over her shoulder, her expression questioning. "I had another dream last night," Aang explained. "Well, I think I did. I don't remember much of it, really, but I have a strong feeling that we just have to keep walking."

Katara sighed, at last finding what she was looking for and beginning to drag the comb through her hair. "You and your feelings," she teased, rolling her eyes. He felt an unusual sense of daring at her sarcasm, his mood strangely elevated after his sleep, and he threw himself forward, grabbing her round the waist and turning so that she fell on his lap. She yelped in alarm, though soon began to laugh as he peppered kisses along her jawline.

"My feelings are usually right," he said through a wide grin.

"I'm trying to comb my hair," she said, placing her palm against his face and pushing him back with a giggle. Aang shrugged.

"It looks fine as it is."

Katara deadpanned. "My comb is stuck in it."

"Really? I thought that was some sort of hair clip-"

"Shouldn't we really be focusing?" she asked pointedly, though a smirk still played across her lips. Aang let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeh, I guess. It's just ..." he squeezed her tighter, "I missed being able to do stuff like this. I missed you."

Katara smiled, a little sadly, but honestly. "I know. I missed it too."

Not willing to let go just yet, he rubbed her arm, just enjoying her warmth on his lap, and the familiar scent of her hair in his nose. But, as he held her, he felt her body stiffen, the discomfort obvious, and he looked up. She was looking down at her lap, her brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

Katara glanced back at him, and he was alarmed to see a slither of fear in her expression, before she looked back down. She bit her lip, her fingers playing with the comb in her hands.

"Katara?"

"Do you think ... shouldn't we talk about it?"

"About what? Us?"

"No, well, not exactly. About you. Aang, what's going on?"

He blinked at her, for a long moment not sure what she was getting at. She knew what was going on, they were looking for Tonrar, what more could she want?

"I don't know what you mean," he replied honestly. But as her eyes narrowed, flickering between each of his as if searching for something, he felt a cold dread in his stomach. _She knows. Idiot, she knows._

"Aang, I know something isn't right," she said. "I get that this is a lot to deal with and you're going to be feeling emotional, but it's more than that. Xing Ying spoke to me before we left."

At this, he frowned. _Xing Ying? What could she possibly know?_

"She told me about how she could feel the energy around certain people. Around you."

And now his cold dread deepened. The one thing he had wanted to keep from her, the one thing that had terrified him more than Tonrar, and he had already given himself away.

"And then whenever I heal you, your chi feels different." Katara was breathing heavy now, looking at him as though she was terrified to continue, to tell her exactly what she had felt, what Xing Ying had seen. But she knew, and Aang felt his panic rising, palms sweaty as his heart began to race. What was he supposed to tell her? Especially when he had no idea what was going on himself.

"Aang ..." she grabbed his hands, staring into his eyes. "Please, talk to me."

"I ..." he swallowed, choking on his words. "I don't know how," he finished lamely. "I don't understand what's going on let alone how to explain it to anyone."

"I just want to know if you're still ... you," Katara said. "Whatever Tonrar's done, however the Avatar spirit has reacted, we can deal with that."

"I'm still me," he replied softly. But how could he tell her that it felt like there was someone else in his head with him? That the more that voice spoke the less like himself he felt? How could he tell her this without scaring her when it already terrified him? "The Avatar spirit is angry, and it's getting harder and harder to fight her back. It's why I can't go into the Avatar State, or use my powers to try and contact my past lives here. I'm scared if I give her even an inch in this place I won't be strong enough to stop her from taking over."

Katara nodded. She understood, and it was what she had suspected for some time. She reached out and took his face in both hands, and she felt his posture soften.

"Well, I know you can fight her," she said. "And I'll do everything I can to help. If you feel like it's getting too much, or the Avatar spirit is getting strong, you tell me, promise me you won't keep it quiet."

He looked back into her confident deep blue eyes, and nodded. Encouraged by the swooping sensation of hope that her words brought to his chest, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She returned his affection in full, before after a deep breath they pulled back, foreheads still pressed together.

"We should probably get on with that walking thing you were talking about."

Aang let out a puff of air, showing his disappointment, before nodding. "Yeh, I guess we should. Though I've got to be honest I'm getting a little peeved that my past lives are having us walk so far, it doesn't make sense."

Katara smirked. "It's all spirit mumbo jumbo, it never made sense." Aang made to argue, before shrugging in defeat.

The pair walked for another full day after that, both relieved when the rocky landscape began to slowly morph into something much more green and sheltered from the oppressive orange sky. This greenery, however, offered a new hurdle that only proved to make their passage that much more difficult; no longer had they a flat surface to walk across, but steep jumps and fatefully hidden stones and cracks that they had each tripped on at least once, Aang certainly more so. They had also begun to notice a growing heat as the vegetation grew longer and denser, and before long they had discarded their robes into the back of their packs, sweat beading on their foreheads as they part walked, part climbed. For Katara it was difficult, for Aang it was torment. The longer they walked the more pain returned and the greater his limp became, his mood becoming more sour each time the stick he used for support stuck in the ground. As they neared their fifth of sixth hour of walking Aang had come to a halt.

"Is your leg hurting too much?" Katara asked, stopping a little ahead of him when she realised she could no longer hear his stick hitting the ground. She had asked him several times already, and each time Aang had insisted that he could go further, but when she looked back at him she knew there was no chance they'd be moving onward after a short rest.

"A little," Aang confessed. He looked around at their surroundings, his expression undeniably irate.

"Ok, we've been walking long enough now anyway," Katara said. Then, as if to make him feel better, "I'm pretty tired myself, I could do with a rest."

They made a last climb towards one of the large trees that had managed to carve a place out into the rocky under-footing, and began to set up camp as they had the previous night. Aang didn't say much as Katara performed another healing session though, as promised, he had made them something to eat. No sooner had he finished, however, his head hit the pillow of his sleeping bag and he dosed away into blackness.

~

 _Keep walking. It's going to get harder._

~

"Aang! Aang wake up!"

Eyes snapped open as Aang was shaken awake, and he blinked wildly for a moment before finding Katara's face in the low afternoon light, her hand nudging his shoulder. "Katara? Wha-"

"Shh," she pressed her finger against her lips, leaning back. On alert Aang sat up, looking sharply in the direction she then indicated. He was surprised to find himself look over at a pair of gold rimmed eyes on an intensely curious face, blinking curiously at them.

"What is it?" Katara hissed.

The spirit, a dog-like creature with warm honey fur, and a dark mask around it's face with red feather like plumes fluffed up like a mane watched them, head cocked to one side.

"A spirit," Aang replied. He gently rose to his knees, wincing at the pressure in his hip, and the spirit instantly shrank down, plumes flattening across it's neck as it growled uncertainly. "I'm not going to hurt you," Aang said softly, holding out a hand. The spirit then barked boldly, placing a paw forward as Aang set himself back onto his haunches. The spirit's ears perked forward, watching them for a moment as if daring either of them to move, before it grabbed a stick from the ground. Hesitantly moving forward it placed the stick on the ground, the gold rimmed eyes watching them intently as it did so. Then, with a quick nudge of it's muzzle it rotated the stick, before glancing back meaningfully in the direction the stick now pointed. At that moment, before Aang could do any more, it barked loudly and turned tail, running off into the thick underbrush.

"What was that all about?" Katara whispered. But as she looked over at Aang she saw the childish hope and excitement shimmering in eye, his entire being practically vibrating with the urge to follow the unusual spirit. "We're following it then?"

Aang looked back at her. "It's literally the only sign we've seen in two days that the spirits even know we're here," he reasoned. With a shrug, Katara got to her feet, grabbing their supplies and bed rolls and stuffing them into their packs. She had hardly finished clipping her sleeping bag to the top of her bag before Aang had shouldered his and grabbed her hand, excitedly hurrying in the direction the little dog spirit had run.

They walked for the best part of an hour, eyes searching for signs of the spirit, yet the little creature seemed to have outpaced them by quite some margin. The difficult ground underfoot made their progress slow, and more than once one had needed the help of the other to stop themselves falling flat on their faces. Determined Aang pushed them onward, certain that one of the past Avatar's was trying to send him a message via this spirit, so focused was he that at first he didn't notice Katara roughly pulling on his hand, hissing his name.

"Aang!" He looked back, slowing his pace when he saw the uneasy look on Katara's face. "Aang, we're not the only ones here."

He froze, looking intently into the woods surrounding them. "Katara, I can't see any-" he was interrupted by a low growl, not unlike the one that the dog spirit had given, though this time much more threatening. Aang turned his attention to the direction the sound had come from, only to hear another growl to his left. He gripped Katara's hand tightly, stepping in front of her.

"Did that cute little dog thing just lead us into a trap?" Katara hissed. More growls followed her words, and from the thick treeline gold rimmed eyes began to shine, dark snouts poking out of the brush revealing rows of sharp, snarling teeth.

"That is entirely possible," Aang muttered back from the side of his mouth, refusing to take his eyes from the growling spirits, and beginning to slowly walk them backwards. "That, or my past lives are actually trying to kill me."

"An encouraging thought." Katara bent water from her hip flask, holding her water whip in place. One of the spirits barked at the sight, and the growling intensified, more of them coming from the treeline, surrounding them on all sides. In response, Aang raised some of the rock from the ground, covering their right flank whilst Katara covered their left. Then, with a howl, the first spirit charged.


	2. The Chief's Return

Cold, miserable, and wet, two downcast figures made their slow way up the winding, icy path that led to the sombre grandeur that was the figure head of the Nation they had found themselves trapped in. They were worried, defeated, both their energies spent after spending nearly a week at sea, trying to fight the impossible. They had known the moment they set sail that they were fighting a loser's game, but their desperate need to save the woman who meant so much to all of them pushed them onward. Despite their courage it had been only a matter of when, not if, they would be swallowed whole and forced to fight their way back to the relative safety of the Fire Nation. In truth, it was a miracle that they had even survived the return journey, though neither of them felt that was anything to celebrate. Right now their hopes were crushed, the storm was not going to stop, Aang was not going to come back; these were only vague and vane dreams by now.

Horns signaled their return, and as they crest the final steep set of stairs to the ramshackle remains of the Palace porch they were welcomed by cheers and cries of joy and relief. Their happiness was short lived, however, when they saw Toph Beifong and Sokka of the Water Tribe scaling the hill alone. Sokka looked up at his girlfriend, her skinny form a reminder of how sick she had been, and shook his head, pain and defeat etched across his features. Toph didn't respond to them at all, trudging past and focusing on the ground as she walked, shoulders hunched. Grief filled her sightless eyes as her companions watched her pass, Suki taking her boyfriend in her arms.

Half an hour later the group sat along the long table that ran the length of the Palace throne room, hot soups placed in front of the two weary travelers. An uncomfortable silence had fallen across them, no one wanting to push Toph or Sokka into telling them what had happened, yet everyone desperate to hear their accounts. Their group was much smaller now ... Only the Firelord, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Ty Lee remained of the original team. Yee-Li and Dekho sat with them also, the Air Acolyte and Fire Nation lieutenant taking it upon themselves to provide support where they could. Without Aang the group felt hopeless, without Katara the group felt broken. Eventually, the Firelord gathered the courage to speak, eyes flitting nervously across his friends as he cleared his throat.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked. Sokka looked miserably up the table, swirling his spoon through his soup, for once not hungry.

"I don't know what else we can do," he mumbled. "Katara's gone. The storm has gotten so bad we couldn't even make it halfway to the North Pole before turning back."

"The war balloons?" Zuko pressed.

"There's no way they're strong enough to get anywhere close to where we even got the ships," Sokka replied with an exasperated sigh. "And if they fell into the sea we'd be dead meat for sure."

"We just have to hope that Aang comes back soon." Toph mindlessly bent the spoon in her hand.

"Who's to say he will?" Sokka rounded on her, growling. "You've probably noticed he hasn't exactly had her best interests at heart lately-"

"Sokka," Suki interrupted, "Aang would go after her, we all know that he would."

"And if Aang doesn't come back?" Ty Lee ventured, looking nervous at making such a suggestion. "The storm has gotten worse, after all ..."

"He's an airbender and a waterbender," Toph scoffed, her upper lip sneering. "He can manage a damn storm. The question isn't if he comes back, but when. And despite what you think, Sokka, he's still crazy about Katara. The first thing he'll do when he gets back is head straight up to the North Pole to rescue her." They shifted uncomfortably, and Toph let out a tut of frustration. "Look, boneheads, it's obvious that Innua came here for Twinkletoes! They've taken Katara to blackmail him, and they won't do a damn thing to her until he turns up. We tried, Sokka, but we just have to accept that the only thing we can do now is wait."

Sokka's nostrils flared, his hands fists as he glared down at his soup. Suki reached out and placed a hand on his arm, her eyes flashing meaningfully as he looked across at her. Shutting his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"Why isn't he back yet?" Sokka said at last, despite his best attempts anger still burned the edge of his tone. "It's been weeks ... months."

"Well, maybe Aang not being back yet is a good sign," Yee-Li offered, looking up and down the table. "Maybe he and Xing Ying have found a way to stop the storms, fix whatever is happening. I'd say the fact he's been gone so long means that he's found something, or he'd have come back. Maybe he's trying to fix it as we speak?"

"But that doesn't help Katara," Sokka mumbled, his voice shaking. "I should have been there ... we all knew Innua was up to something, we all knew she couldn't be trusted. I should have done something when I had the chance." His tone grew sinister as his fist tightened around the spoon.

"She'd have killed you if you had tried," Toph said bluntly.

"What exactly could we have done?" Zuko demanded, scowling. "None of us knew what she would do, and we needed what she brought. If this is on anyone it's me, I underestimated her."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Sokka snarled, glaring down the table at him. "It's ok that I let my little sister get taken because you let her get taken?"

"No one let her get taken, Sokka," Suki snapped, her patience drawing thin. "As Zuko said, none of us knew what she was up to."

"Oh, so you're on his side," he grumbled, crossing his arms and shooting her a fierce glare.

"I'm not on anyone's side!" Suki cried, exasperated. "I want Katara back every bit as much as you do, I'm only alive right now because of her, but blaming ourselves isn't going to change anything. We do as Toph said. We hold out and we wait for Aang to come back. And he will come back."

Toph lifted her feet from the ground, crossing her legs underneath her, no longer able to stand the Sokka's sickening flagellation any longer. "You're not the one with hearing feet, Sokka," she said. "If anyone should have spotted this it should have been me. But do you see me pitying and punishing myself? No. Man up. Katara's a big girl, I'm sure she can take care of herself where Innua is concerned, and until Aang's back we have much more we need to deal with."

Sokka threw her a contemptuous glare, though wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.

"Without the waterbabies keeping the city clear, this shit has got a whole lot harder for all of us. Our supplies will soon run out, and people will begin starving again. I say we focus on survival until Twinkletoes has dealt with his spirit problems."

"I'm sorry, Sokka, but I agree with Toph," Zuko said gently. "We can't do anything for Katara now. But we have a lot to prepare for."

Sokka sighed, before defeated he nodded.

"Good." The Firelord raised his chin. "Sokka, Toph, you should both get some rest. As Toph pointed out there's a lot to get done, and we'll need all the hands we can get. Dekho, we need to start splitting people into teams ..."

With sombre nods Sokka and Toph climbed to their feet. It was then that the loud and ominous sound of the horn reverberated through the room. They froze, exchanging guarded glances.

"You don't think that's Aang do you?" Yee-Li asked. The horn called once more and they jumped into action, Sokka grabbing Suki's hands.

"Stay here, it's too cold out there-"

"I'm not staying!" Suki pushed past him, as she hurried to follow the others that had gotten to their feet, excitement brewing.

Toph, despite her blindness, had been the first to find her way towards the tall, broad door that separated the palace from the swirling mass of snow and sleet outside. A battle between her relief, her excitement, and her apprehension raged in her stomach. She was eager to see Aang again, to know that he at least was safe, yet knowing that if he was returning before the storms had stopped meant not everything had gone to plan. There was also the matter of Katara being kidnapped, and she had thought Sokka was unbearable it would be nothing compared to Aang's reaction. Zuko and the others rounded the corner just as she pulled at the doors, guards hurrying forward to assist and defend her and the Firelord if need be. She hastily spilled out onto the freezing stone beyond the doorway, and though she knew that she couldn't hope to detect Aang in the sky she pressed her feet to the ground anyway. Zuko and Sokka came skidding to a halt either side of her, both panting.

For a moment, no one spoke, eyes squinting and feet listening, trying to catch sight of the visitor who had set off the horns and then, just as the wait began to grow agonising, Sokka cried out.

"It's Appa! Aang's back!"

Whilst Sokka sounded ecstatic, no doubt thinking of his sister, both Toph and Zuko remained sober, knowing that Aang's return whilst the storm still blew wasn't a good sign. Sokka moved forward, waving his arms.

"Aang!" Dutifully Toph and Zuko walked forward. "Wait ... wait, that's not- _Dad_?"

The others froze, Suki placing a hand on Toph's shoulder as if for support, and with a heavy thud Appa landed on the hard frozen ground, letting out a pained groan of relief. Sure enough, at the bison's head sat Hakoda, wrapped in layer upon layer of fur. Behind him sat Xing Ying, looking equally as exhausted as Appa did, shaking in the biting wind.

"Dad?" Sokka gasped. "What are you doing here? Where's Aang?"

Wincing Hakoda dropped from Appa's saddle. "I'll tell you everything," he grunted, "but I think Appa needs to be seen to first."

Sure enough, the bison looked terrible. His body shook, his breath a hard pant, his eyes half closed as he trembled on the ground. Toph could sense that the bison was exhausted, on the verge of illness perhaps, and she had never felt Appa like this. For the first time she began to truly fear for Aang. Then, as Xing Ying shifted in the saddle, gently dropping into the floor, she could sense something else, another being was with them.

"Xing Ying!" Yee-Lie cried with relief, running forwards to embrace her friend, but Toph threw out her arm, grabbing the girl in a vice like grip upon her sleeve.

"Wait," she demanded, scowling. "What else is with you?" Sokka, though excited to see his father, had enough distrust left in his heart that he froze, and Zuko and Dekho too were instantly on alert, their eyes narrowing as Xing Ying inched around Appa.

"Yuva." Xing Ying's voice, tired yet gentle, confused them, until with a gentle coaxing from her, a cold and shivering little body landed beside her. Their mouths dropped open, eyes wide, as they all looked upon a miracle none of them thought they would ever see.

"A baby sky bison?" Yee-Li whispered. Xing Ying nodded, managing a weak smile.

"We'll explain everything," Hakoda said gruffly, "but Appa really needs some food and some shelter. Frankly I think we all do."

Nodding, Zuko turned to one of the guards, ordering them to guide the bison to the warm stables that always remained reserved for him. Xing Ying buried her palm into Appa's fur, speaking softly to him.

"I'm going to go with them," she said to Hakoda. "I just to make sure he's ok, and I think Yuva will be frightened on her own."

"I'll go with you," Yee-Li said, reaching a hand around her friends shaking shoulders.

"Dekho, you may as well stay with them," Zuko said, and the handsome red-haired lieutenant nodded, reaching forward to take Appa's reins and lead him away. Still awestruck Suki and Sokka watched as the baby trotted off after them.

"Shall we?" Zuko asked, gesturing back to the palace. With much enthusiasm the Southern chief hurried through the doors, teeth visibly chattering, his body shaking from the cold.

As soon as they entered the throne room, Hakoda had stopped and turned to face the surprised Suki, breathing his relief as he pulled her into a tight hug. Confused, Suki returned the hug, throwing Sokka a bemused and somewhat frightened look.

"I'm so pleased that you're ok, Suki," he said, drawing back. "When Aang told me that Innua had poisoned you I was so worried-"

"Wait," Suki said suddenly, looking between Hakoda and Sokka, who took a large intake of breath. "Innua? _Innua_ poisoned me?"

Hakoda looked up at Sokka and the others, also looked confused. Suki's face began to burn red.

"I- Suki we didn't want to tell you just yet, after what's happened ... You still need to recover and-"

"I had a right to know!" Suki yelled.

"I know I know," Sokka protested, holding out his palms, "and I was gonna tell you!"

"Seems like keeping secrets is becoming somewhat of a theme around here," Suki replied, her hands shaking.

"Suki, this is on me," Zuko said, rubbing his temple, "I was the one who insisted that we wait until you were better recovered before telling you. Please, we didn't intend to keep it from you, it's just that with all the noise around here there never felt like there was time."

"That's bull," Suki snapped. "You've all got so damn good at keeping your cards to your chest you forget you can't keep your friends in the dark, your family..." she faltered, her voice breaking, as she saw the distraught look on Sokka's face, his frightened blue eyes already pleading with her to forgive him, and gritting her teeth she breathed heavily from her nose. "I'm ok, Hakoda," she assured, looking back over at the dumbstruck chief. "Forgive me but whilst your son might be an asshole, your daughter took care of me." Her voice faltered again, as she thought of Katara.

"Well, uh-" Hakoda cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "I'm not at all surprised to hear that Katara looked after you. Or that Sokka's a, uh, asshole." At that, Toph barked a loud laugh, and in spite of herself Suki smiled, and Sokka's face burned red. Hakoda smirked.

Glad the awkwardness had quickly died down, Zuko gently gestured to one of the empty spaces at the table, and with a relieved grunt the chief sat down, disrobing himself of the several damp layers of fur in the fiery warmth of the throne room.

"So, what's going on, dad?" Sokka asked, face still red as he took a seat beside him. "I mean, don't get me wrong I'm really glad to see you, like really glad. But what are you doing here on Appa? Where's Aang? And what's with the baby sky bison?"

Gratefully Hakoda accepted the tea Ty-Lee poured for him, taking a deep drink before answering. "Aang said we should take Appa back here, it was safer than ship. Aang is safe, I think, and he and Katara as in the spirit world. Oh, and I still don't really know where the bison came from."

"Katara?" Sokka and Toph cried at once. "She's with Aang?!" Sokka hurried. "Wh-how? Innua took her! Is she ok? What do you mean the spirit world? What the boomerang is Aang doing taking her into the spirit world?"

"Who, slow down," Hakoda winced, holding his head as he took another sip of his drink. "Katara is fine, a bit stressed no doubt but fine. Innua arrived at the South Pole over a week ago-" the group hissed their displeasure at this, "-and she had Katara with her. She was there looking for Koh, and she brought Katara as a bargaining chip so that we would take her to him."

"Koh was in the South Pole?" Zuko snapped, sitting upright in his chair.

"Yes." Hakoda rubbed his forehead. "Part of this is my fault. When we found Koh I sent a message here, to the Palace, to let Aang know. Innua intercepted it, and then she took Katara as hostage." The group shared uncomfortable looks.

"So ... what did Innua want with Koh?" Zuko pressed. Hakoda swallowed, only half looked back at the Firelord.

"This is where it gets complicated, and I don't know how much of all this you already know, or suspected." He sighed. "Aang and Innua have both been trying to find the spirit, Koh, and just as Aang got to the South Pole thinking he'd find this ... well, he said that there is a tear between our two world. The spirit and the mortal-"

"Yeh yeh, we know all that," Toph interrupted, "Sokka beat that out of Aang before he left." Hakoda shot his son an alarmed look as the young warrior shrugged sheepishly. "So, why did Innua want Koh?"

"Well, it turns out that Innua wanted revenge on Koh for stealing something from her. Koh was aware of this, and when Aang arrived and I showed him where Koh was hiding, before Innua got to us, the spirit told Aang that he refused to fix the rift between our worlds unless Aang killed Innua." They all exchanged alarmed looks at this. "When we returned to the village, Innua was already there. She had a few of the Northern brutes with her, and some vile man named Kanto had a knife to Katara's throat." His hands began to shake at that point, and his voice became a growl as he continued. "She threatened to kill her and the others unless we took to Koh. Aang tried to reason with her but ... that woman is insane."

"Sounds familiar," Ty Lee said quietly, and Zuko looked sideways at her, his expression pained.

"So Aang led her to Koh, whilst two of her men had Katara and me at knife-point the entire way. When we got there Innua challenged Koh and ... well, that's when it all just got weird." He rubbed his hands against his face, trying to fight away the embers of his exhaustion. "Did Aang ever mention that Koh took Tonrar's face?" The group nodded. "Well, that thing that Innua wanted back ... it turns out the Tonrar is, somehow, Innua's father."

A sickening silence followed this. The initial shock of it leaving them speechless, until Toph, mind racing, shook her head and raised her hand.

"Whoa whoa ... are you trying to tell me that Innua is a spirit? A goddamn spirit?"

"Half," Hakoda corrected.

"Half?" Toph repeated, voice high as she threw her hands in the air.

"How is that even possible?" Zuko asked.

"Well I think we know how it's possible," Toph replied. "When a mummy and a spirit monster love each other very much-"

"Toph," Suki sighed, tiredly, "I think the question is how is it even possible for a half spirit to be born?"

"You're asking the wrong guy here," Hakoda replied. "All of this spirit stuff is lost on me."

"So, what happened?"

"Innua lost," Hakoda shrugged. "Koh was too strong for her, half spirit or no, and she didn't stand a chance against him. It was almost like she gave up, and just surrendered to him ..." his face went pale now, as the memories of that day resurfaced. "It's the most horrific thing I've ever seen. Aang realised it was a trap, but too late, and Innua just stood there and let Koh take her face." He closed his eyes, and swallowed. "I thought it was over, I think we all did, save Aang. But, somehow in sacrificing her face something much much worse happened. Tonrar managed to rise, he took control of Koh's body, he possessed it."

"No ..." Toph growled, shaking her head. "No, we beat him, he can't be back!"

"I don't understand how he took control," Hakoda continued, "but he turned on Aang. He tried to control him, but Aang was able to fight back. For a while. But Tonrar didn't just want to control him any more, or to scare him. He wanted to kill him, and he almost did."

"What?" Zuko cried.

"Aang was hurt. Badly. But just as Tonrar was able to land the killing blow the man who had Katara just let her go... she was able to hurt Tonrar, enough for him to pull back and flee, and for us to get Aang out. Katara was able to save his leg." He looked up at Suki. "She really is a remarkable healer."

"S-save his leg?" Zuko looked green now. "What do you mean?"

Hakoda looked nervous, as though he didn't really want to tell any of them exactly what had happened. "Tonrar ah- well as Koh he had talons, and whilst Aang was trying to stop him he ... he stabbed him. If Katara hadn't been there he would have just bled out onto the snow."

Everyone looked sick, worried, Toph feeling her hands shake as her anger for the spirit grew. "But, he's ok, right?" she managed, as everyone else remained stunned.

"He's well enough. He can walk."

"So, what's this about the spirit world?" Sokka ventured. "I mean ... did Tonrar hit his head too because Aang should know better than to take Katara into the spirit world. She should be here."

Sokka's underlying anger at the Avatar was obvious, and Hakoda reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, Aang did take a pretty hard knock to the head too," he admitted, and as Sokka turned his furious gaze to his father, he hurried to calm him. "Sokka, we both tried to stop her. But you know when Katara has her mind set on something there's no stopping her-"

"Yeh there is," Sokka snapped. "Just leave her behind! Tie her onto Appa or something ... Aang nearly dies and he decides to take her on a spirit world? I swear to Yue if Tonrar doesn't kill him-"

"Sokka!" They looked over to see Suki, eyes flashing as she glared at him. "Katara isn't a little girl to be coddled and ordered around."

"She's right, son," Hakoda said softly. "And the fact remains that Aang needs her. He can't face Tonrar alone, not in the state he's in, no matter how much he insists otherwise."

"That sounds like Twinkletoes," Toph sighed.

"Aang thinks that Tonrar went into the spirit world, and he's following him there. Unless Koh fixes this tear, the storm continued, and we all die. I have faith in Katara, that she can help him find that spirit and finally put an end to all of this."

"I hope you're right," Sokka grumbled. "You have no idea how worried I've been, dad. We thought that Innua had taken her to the North Pole. Toph and I tried to go after them but, well, you've seen it out there."

"I know, son."

"So, how does this change our plan?" Zuko asked. "Do we still wait for Aang to come back? Or is there something that we can do?" Hakoda shifted uncomfortably, swallowing audibly. Zuko frowned at him. "What?"

"Unfortunately I predict we will have our own issues to deal with." Hakoda took a deep breath, crossing his arms upon the table. "There was something about the way Innua's men looked at us, like they wanted blood. General Hanh was there, he was the one that had Xing Ying, and the only one of the two men that came back to the ship ... and I could tell by the way he looked at me, like I was a traitor, that there was more to all of this than just helping Innua get her revenge on Koh."

"Hanh wants his own," Zuko said softly. "I've predicated as much since the very first republic meeting."

"I don't think it will be long before we see him again."

Despondent, the group looked at one another. They had been through a lot together, especially in the past year, but the storm and the disconnect from the rest of the world was weighing heavily on all of them, and the thought of Hanh returning to get his revenge on the Fire Nation and it's leader left them drained and exhausted. They would fight, they could never stop, but in truth they all just wished for this living hell to be over.

"How long to you think Aang and Katara will be gone?" Suki asked, and immediately Hakoda shook his head.

"I honestly couldn't even guess at this point. I don't know anything about the spirit world, how they plan to track Tonrar, how they're going to beat him without harming Koh ... I don't even know how they plan to get back to this world. But I think we should be preparing to fight Hanh without the Avatar's help."

Bitterly, Sokka nodded. He glanced across at Zuko, and though his exhaustion was clear, he was every bit as determined as Sokka was to finally put an end to Hanh's pettiness.

"We'll be ready for him," the Firelord growled. "Storm or not storm, the Fire Nation does not back down."

 **oOo**

Much later that night, after everyone had settled into their rooms, stomachs full and, for the most part, questions answered, a lone figure made his way down the darkened corridors. Keen eyes stared out before him, his movement swift and precise, careful not to make a single sound. There was a tenacious determination etched across his handsome features, like a man who had made a single minded decision upon which his future and honour depended. Quickly and silently he found his way to the room that had been designated to the Southern Water Tribe's chief, a room that had until recently been Aang's. It felt strange to be standing there, but after a deep breath he reached out, rapping several sharp knocks on the door. After a few dragged out seconds, the doorknob began it's rotation, a tired and puzzled Hakoda looking through the gap.

"Sokka?"

Sokka allowed none of his resolve to slip. "Can we talk?"

"Of course." His father opened the door, watching him with obvious concern as he made his way into the room. "Sokka, what's on your mind?"

Hakoda knew well the man that his young son had become. As goofy and naive as he could still sometimes be, the man was a warrior, and a thinker, and he knew that a late night visit such as this was not to catch up.

"It's about Hanh," Sokka replied, straight to the point. Hakoda sat on the edge of his bed, but Sokka remained standing.

"Ok?"

"Innua was likely calling the shots, right?"

Surprised, Hakoda nodded. "I'd guess so."

"Which means that if Innua is out of the picture that should leave Hanh in charge of his rag tag group."

"Right ... Sokka, where are you going with this? What's so important to be talking this late at night?"

Sokka began to pace, frowning. He had debated heavily with himself if this was an issue he should bring up, and whether his father was the right person to be speaking to about it. But after seeing the hurt in Suki's face when she realised something as heavy as Innua being the one responsible for her almost losing her life, he knew that not talking to his father would be a mistake. After all, he had felt such rage and betrayal when he found out just how much Aang had kept from him.

"The Hanh I knew isn't capable of leading anyone," he said. "He almost led his men to slaughter in the siege in the North, and back in Ba Sing Se he followed Innua around like a lost dog." He stopped, glaring out of the darkened window. "I could be wrong about this, but ... there is no way that Hanh is even capable of leading those men you met at the South Pole to the Fire Nation's gates. Let alone an army big enough to take the Capital down."

"So, you're saying he's not a threat?" Sokka glanced back over at his father.

"I'm saying that, going on how badly Hanh craves his revenge, if it was just him and his men he'd be here by now. I'm saying that I don't think Hanh is going to be leading this charge ... I'm saying that Innua was one manipulative monster, and certainly not stupid enough to leave Hanh in charge of a bid for control over the Fire Nation."

Hakoda frowned, shaking his head. "Then who? What are you getting at?"

Sokka swallowed, not sure exactly how his father would take what he had to say next. "You said yourself that Innua had Arnook wrapped around her little finger," he continued. "And, maybe it's just me, but if she's capable of convincing him that she should be on the council, then who's to say she hasn't convinced him of a whole lot more?"

"Sokka," Hakoda stood now, chin held high as he frowned. "I know Arnook, I have known him all my life, and he is an honourable man. He has already suffered enough at the hands of the Fire nation, he's not about to risk the lives of his people by leading them to the Firelord's front door."

"Are you sure about that?" Sokka turned to face his father, his expression equally as stubborn. "Both of his chosen leaders kidnapped Katara, brought her at knife point to the South Pole to blackmail Aang, to blackmail you! And before that they came here, offering aid, medicine, food, bedding ... even the herbs to cure Suki ... all in the guise of trying to work out where Aang was."

Hakoda shook his head. "No, I refuse to believe that Arnook would betray us. Whatever is going on, he isn't the one behind it." He could see Sokka's eyes flash in disagreement, and he swiftly reached out to take his son's shoulder. "I agree with you, that if Hanh was coming alone then he would be here right now. But have faith when I say that Arnook isn't the one responsible for Katara's kidnapping."

Doubtful Sokka searched his father's eyes. He couldn't trust those words, he had been betrayed too often. Aang himself had lied to his face, to Katara's, what would make Arnook any different? He had lost his daughter, and it seemed he had fostered another. He would do anything for her. But, sensing his father's stubbornness, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "If you're right about a coming invasion, we can't let them anywhere near the Palace. They can't get to Suki."

It was then that Hakoda saw the true fear in Sokka's heart. He had taken Katara's kidnapping hard, it was personal for him, a failure that he would perhaps never forgive himself for. And he was fearful that he would let Suki down too.

"I know, son. And they won't. No one is going to touch Suki, you have my word."

For a moment they stood in silence, before Sokka tentatively spoke, his voice sounding small. "Was she really ok? Did they hurt her?"

Hakoda sighed, looking away. "She was tired," he admitted, "and it doesn't even look like they fed her the entire time she was on the ship. But I think it was only her pride that was bruised. She had the strength to save Aang, no mean feat given what Tonrar did to him. She is so much stronger than I ever was."

"Probably stronger than me, too," Sokka mumbled. "When you said how badly Aang was injured ... do you think he's going to be able to fight Tonrar?"

Hakoda looked back at his son quickly, his face already betraying the truth before he could even speak, and Sokka's eyes darkened. "I don't know," he said honestly. "But Aang is resourceful, and he has Katara. And if there is one thing I am certain of there is nothing that they can't face together. I truly believe that."


	3. Spirits and Shelter

Snarling howls and guttural growls filled the endlessly serene and shaded forest. A land that had remained still and restful for centuries suddenly came alive, with wide peering eyes, shouts of alarm, and the rush of spirits running either to or away from the source of the disturbance. Small spirits watched from the top of their trees as the two humans, a sight not seen in these parts since almost the beginning of time, found themselves surrounded by snapping teeth and vibrant red plumes.

Aang and Katara stood back to back, she with her water whip at the ready, he raising chunks of earth that circled around them, read to launch at whichever of the dog-like spirits that chose to charge next. The first spirit that had lunged with a howling cry had swiftly been knocked aside by Katara's water whip, throwing the creature into a tree. The spirit had got back to it's feet, an embarrassed whimper leaving it's salivating lips, and his allies wisely decided to stand back. Slowly, they began to encircle them on all sides, a certain intelligence in their eyes, they searched for weakness, letting out a horrifying chorus of growls and snarls to try and intimidate them further. Aang, refusing to take his eyes from their adversaries, turned his head to hiss to Katara.

"Keep moving backwards, they don't seem too willing to get close. Stay in contact with me, got it?"

Katara nodded, shifting her position, the water in her hands swelling momentarily and causing the spirits to back away further. Slowly, Aang began to creep forwards, Katara keeping her pack in contact with his, and sure enough the spirits moved away from him, their uncertain eyes watching as airborne clumps of earth rounded closer to them.

"Is it working?" Katara hissed.

"I think so."

They continued their painfully slow progress towards a gentle and hopeful ray of light that had managed to filter its way through the thick treeline, and for a moment it seemed as though nerves had overcome daring in the spirits. They growled, unsure, until regaining it's pluck one of them moved towards Aang, head lowered, red feathery plumes held high above it's body. Aang pulled the rock in it's direction, hoping to scare it back, but instead the spirit saw this as a reason for attack, and with a howl it charged forward. This time it was Aang who responded first, pulling the earth together and throwing the dog-like creature aside just as Katara had done. Now, though, the spirits did not retreat back, and Aang yelled out a warning to Katara just as the bushes exploded with life, and the pair found themselves faced with a wall of teeth and stinking breath. Swiftly Katara pulled her whip to the front of her, creating a shield that lashed out and pushed them back, and Aang raised more rock from the ground surrounding them, throwing spirits off their feet and colliding with them as they leaped.

"Aang! Right!"

He swung just in time to see two spirits cut through their barricade, and with a blast of air shot them backwards. More of the spirits came, innumerable amounts that seemed to defy reason, and together they continued to push them back, Katara firing shards of ice, her daggers stabbing chests and rumps, sending many scattering yet whilst more came. Before long it seemed as though they were dropping from the very trees above, and Aang pulled up a bubble of air around them, and the spirits ricocheted off the swirling surface. With one hand Aang reached back, grabbing Katara's pack.

"Keep up with me!"

He heard Katara let out a loud laugh, just as she whipped round to take out one of the spirits that managed to break through Aang's air shield, it's gnashing jaws aiming for his face.

"Right," she said mockingly.

Together they increased their pace towards the light, Aang's shield keeping much of the assault at bay, whilst they picked off those that managed to find their way through. Katara wasn't able to recover all the water than she was spending, and with each attack she broke into her precious reserves until, inevitably, she came close to a halt.

"Aang, I'm out! You need to take down the shield and cover me."

"Katara-"

"Just do it!"

With a low growl of apprehension, Aang dropped the shield, and the sound of triumph from the spirits was deafening. Without his staff, and unable to call upon the Avatar State, there was only so much power to his airbending in this environment, but summoning all of his will and power he threw out his palms, a ring of rushing, hissing wind spreading out around them, knocking the spirits back. Quickly, Katara held out her hands, water from the foliage around them trickling and flowing towards her finger tips like glowing lightning. The air blast dropped just as Katara regained her water and, with a yell, she spun. Aang ducked just as the awesome display of her power rose around them, shards of ice growing and swelling into sharp jagged teeth that pierced any of the spirits not quick enough to get out of the way. But there was no time for Aang to marvel at her abilities, before the spirits were rallying for a second attack. Quickly he cast around them for some route of escape, before he spotted the break. The greenery had grown thin, a steep cliff-face ahead of them, and gritting his teeth in determination he reached behind him, grabbing Katara by the arm, and breaking into a run.

"Aang!"

By now she could see the cliff-face herself, and he felt her try to pull back. But with the spirits giving chase he could only pull her forwards, wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her close he leaped through the bushes, propelling themselves into the clear sky. Katara screamed as they fell, Aang holding her as close as he could with one arm, trying to ignore the choke-like hold she had around his neck as she swore into his ear. He pulled air up from below them, trying to slow their descent until his feet made hard contact with the steep side of the cliff. Quickly he pushed himself off just as he felt his legs get caught up in the turf beneath them, summoning more air in a cushion below them as they fell. Then, with much less grace that he would have usually demanded of himself, they made a tumbling, painful collision with the bottom of the cliff, landing heavily on Aang's side as he rolled to protect Katara. She sprawled away from him, rolling with the force, and Aang couldn't fight back a bark of pain as his right leg jolted and twinged.

For a moment, they just lay there, panting heavily, looking up at the top of the high cliff where the spirits were just visible, their red plumes fanning and vibrating, their snaps and snarls following them down. Then, thankfully, they turned their tail and disappeared from view. Dazed, the pair looked over at each other, still panting, covered in mud and with fresh bruises for their trouble. A lengthy silence followed as they took in each other's appearance before, as one, they burst into laughter.

"So you're completely insane now, aren't you?" Katara asked through the tears. Aang dropped onto his back, laughing heartily up at the sky, the sound filling the air as if in defiance of all that he had been through. Wiping the tears from her eyes, still chuckling, Katara came to his side, peering down at his face and obscuring the sky above him with her hair. "Did you hurt your leg badly?"

With a grunt Aang raised himself up on his arms, before bending his right knee back, raising his foot in the air and giving it a wiggle. "It'll be fine." With a low whistle he looked back up at the cliff, running his hand through his hair that stuck to his sweaty forehead. "Let's not do that again." He looked over at Katara to find her watching him, a strange smile on her lips as she regarded him with half hooded eyes. "What?" he asked warily. "Have I got something on my face?" Katara shook her head.

"No, you just look pretty sexy with hair." Aang's face broke into a wide grin.

"You think I look sexy?"

Katara shrugged, her eyes sparkling. "Don't let it go to your head or anything."

"I am but a humble monk." Then, his grin dropped. "Wait, does that mean you don't think I look sexy without hair?"

Katara laughed, rolling her eyes. "You're such an airhead."

Aang crossed his arms, pouting. "Well, if you like hair so much why don't you marry Zuko, since he's got so much of it."

Still laughing, she scooted closer to him. "Right, I'll marry Zuko." She kissed his nose, smirking at his hurt expression. "Doofus." Just as Aang opened his mouth to express his indignation at being called a doofus the pair found themselves interrupted by a shrill yap. Immediately Aang flew to his feet, dropping into a defensive position in front of Katara whilst she pulled the lid from her hip flask, gathering a ribbon of recovered water before them. The pup spirit that they had met before stepped back a few paces, ears flat and plumes held low to it's flanks, and uttered a small whimper. Then, just as Katara got to her feet, it turned, running up the low hill that presumably crested at yet another cliff edge. Aang and Katara exchanged unsure looks as the spirit turned in a circle, yapping at them.

"It looks like it wants us to follow it again," Aang said cautiously. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"And you want to follow it?" she hissed in disbelief, seeing the look on his face and reading it all too clearly.

"Well, all the big angry ones are back there," Aang reasoned, pointing back up to the high cliff behind them.

"Right. And what if this spirit is with Tonrar? Have you considered that?"

"No ..." Aang admitted, his shoulders slumping. He glanced back up at the pup spirit, just as it began to bark hysterically, jumping up and down on the spot. He looked back to Katara who simply sighed, grabbing on of their fallen packs from the ground and shouldering it. With a shadow of triumph on his face Aang did the same, and the two began to scale the low incline before them. Before they had even reached halfway, the spirit having clearly had enough of these stubborn humans, turned tail and ran past them, leaping up the cliff with a grace that put even Aang to shame. Once more, they hesitated, before they carried on until their feet touched the edge of the cliff. Jaws dropped and gasps were inhaled as the pair looked upon the sight before them.

"Is that ... a city?"

Perhaps a days walk ahead of them, rounded green peaks twinkling in the low sun, a shimmering sea of white and cream blocks lay. The architecture was not dis-similar to that of the Southern Air Temple, with the odd spiraled tower breaking the relatively level skyline of the city, and laying upon what appeared to be a huge expanse of desert it could easily have passed for a mirage were they not both seeing it. The very real aura from the placed seemed to emanate, reaching them even in their many miles of separation. It was a beautiful sight, and for Aang something that seemed practically alien in the human-free world he felt he had come to know somewhat in the last almost six years. As far as he knew, there were no human settlers in the spirit world, and though he was certain it was real, nothing about the sight before him made very much sense.

"Why would the spirits build a city?" Aang asked, his voice low and uneasy. Katara, her eyes sparkling with awe, turned to him, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Could it be humans?" she reasoned, her voice undeniably tipped with hope. "I mean, Iroh said that-"

"There are no humans living in the spirit world," Aang interrupted, a hint of the angered spirit lurking about the edge of his tone. "None that are living, anyway." Something about what he said, and knowing that the Avatar Spirit was in part responsible, sent shivers down Katara's spine, and she rubbed her arms.

"So ... do we go?" she asked. "Or do we avoid it?"

Frowning Aang cast his eyes across the entire landscape before them and, aside from the city, there was simply sand and dunes for as far as the eye could see. What looked like a lone cluster of rock lay partway between themselves and the city, and Aang sighed.

"We're meant to go there." He looked up at the sky. "I don't think we'll make it before sun down, but we can at least find some shelter there for the night." He pointed to the rock breaking the smooth sand and Katara nodded, before looking tentatively down the cliff.

"And how do we get there?" she asked. "Without a glider or a bison that's a pretty steep drop, and I don't see any other way of getting dow-" she caught the sparkle in Aang's eyes and froze, her own widening. "No, no don't you even thi- AANG!" He grabbed her around the waist once more, pulling out a step of earth before them that he then pulled her onto with a gust of wind. The step dropped down the edge of the cliff like an elevator, though at a speed Katara was completely certain wasn't necessary. As she heard Aang laughing she made a mental not to punish him for this one later, and with a sudden jolt they reached the bottom of the luff, sand puffing up around them from the force. When it settled, Aang found Katara glaring at him, her hair a mess and sand settled on her face and shoulders. With a nervous chuckle, Aang sent another gust of wind over her, messing her hair only further as she deadpanned.

"Well, at least we're down," he offered, whilst she tried to flatten her hair and glared daggers at him.

A few minutes later, after adjusting their packs and double checking their water supplies, the pair set off across the wide expanse of the desert. It was difficult to say how a desert in the spirit world compared to the Si Wong desert they had crossed all those years ago. The Si Wong was vast, hundreds and hundreds of miles of merciless harsh heat, and frequent sand storms, and for the first hour that they walked it seemed as though this mild, flat version, with it's light breeze and tolerable temperatures, would be a cake walk in comparison. But the longer they walked the more it became clear that this desert was nothing like what they had experienced in the Si Wong. At this point the cliffs behind them were a haze, and heat began to rise dangerously and drastically, suffocating and clinging to them like a blanket. They were soon forced to dip into their previous water reserves, sipping as they walked to try and stave off dehydration as sweat dripped profusely from their foreheads. Aang was notably struggling, his hip aching from his messy jump to escape the dog spirits, and as much as he tried to ignore the burning in his joints and muscle as he walked, with the heat pressing in on him it was hard to think of anything else. The rocky shelter he had pointed out was still a good hours walk away from them, perhaps more at this pace, yet the pain was growing minute by minute. He looked across at Katara, not surprised to see that she, too, was struggling, but surprised perhaps by the intensity with which she stared ahead of them. He hands were gripped into fists, and she seemed so singularly focused with their destination that she hardly noticed each time her feet scuffed in the sand.

"Katara?" She seemed not to hear him, and gritting his teeth he forced himself to catch up to her, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "Katara? Are you ok?"

She jumped, looking back at him, almost as if she had been in a daze. She blinked at him for a moment, eyes darting irresistibly back towards the city, before puffing the hair out of her face irritably.

"Of course I am, why?"

Her tone was short, and he frowned. But before he could push the matter further she had turned and started to walk again. Gripping his walking stick with sweaty palms he followed her, watching her closely, trying his hardest to push the pain to the back of his mind.

He wasn't sure entirely how much longer they walked, it could have been an hour, it could have two for all that he knew. Neither of them spoke, he focused on keeping his legs from bucking up beneath him, she still so single mindedly marching to the city. The terrain had started to grow more difficult the closer they had gotten to the rock island, the wind creating forever shifting dunes beneath their feet that had them scaling heights that he not seemed quite so mountainous when they had looked at them from the cliff. At long last they crested a dune that easily reached half the height of the cliff they had dropped from and found themselves looking at the jagged island of rock that stubbornly remained in the swirling eroding forces of the sand that surrounded it. Aang and Katara both raised hands to their faces as a huge gust of sand blew up from below them, squinting through the haze.

"We made it," Aang panted, before looking up at the sky. "And just in time, it's starting to get dark." But Katara looked put out, staring at the descent of the dune without a single word. He took her hand. "Hey? Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," she replied, seeming to force a smile onto her lips before starting to climb down the dune.

By the time they had made it to the rocky island it was clear that neither of them, even Katara, were able to fight against their bodies any longer. Aang placed a grateful hand against the rock, grunting in relief as he was finally able to take his weight of his right leg. Katara, dropped to her knees, her eyes closed and her brow furrowed. The rock island was much more unusual close up. In the center stood the large pinnacle he had seen, but the base was much thinner than the bulbous, segmented head that sat atop it. Over the countless years the sand had gently eaten away the base, leaving a perfect roof that graced over their heads. To one side of them a large layered rock lay, mercifully shielding them from the swirling sand storm that had started to pick up quite some force in the last half hour. It was likely the best natural shelter they could hope to find in the desert, and despite how open it was on one side, it would do. Providing that the wind didn't back on to them.

Aang dropped his pack from his shoulders, reaching forward to pull Katara's abandoned pack against the shelter of the rock. Katara seemed to hardly notice his actions, instead sitting with her knees pulled up against her chest, eyes shut tight. He watched her for a moment, his concern now reaching a climax. He was certain that her strange behaviour could not simply be down to exhaustion alone. With a wince he dropped to her side, his hand gripping his burning thigh.

"Katara?"

She remained in place, gripping her legs right, her breathing uneasy. Panic began to fill his chest, suddenly fearful that she had been hurt during their fight with the spirits, and he leaned in, reaching out to cup her chin and raise her face to his. Her eyes opened, squinting and scowling.

"Katara? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, then nodded, then shook her head again and pulled her knees only tight, her eyes shutting again. Aang swallowed, his eyes roaming over her form, looking for whatever damage must have been done.

"It's this place ... that city," she said at last, her voice hoarse. Aang looked back to her closed lids, fluttering slightly. "It almost feels like it's calling me ... hundreds of voices screaming in my head, begging me to help them."

"Voices?" Aang repeated, his own hushed. He knew well of voices in his head, even those that screamed to him. "What do you mean begging you to help them?"

Katara shook her head again, her body tensing up as if she didn't want to think any more about it. "I don't know exactly," she said at last. "It just know they want me to get to that city, and the more they ask the harder I find it to think of anything else." At least she pulled her head from her arms, looking up at him with and urgent desperation. "Do you know what it could be? Does this mean anything to you?"

Aang glanced towards the city. It was still visible, even as the desert began to darken, almost shimmering against the navy sky. He himself couldn't feel anything from the city, no pulling, no voices, no desire to get there any faster than his own curiosity demanded. But somehow that fact only left his stomach curling.

"I don't," he said, looking back at her. "I'm sorry, Katara, I don't feel anything. But we will work this out, ok?"

Her jaw clenched, and she shrugged. "We'll rest an hour and then get started again," she said. Aang bit his lip, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"I think I might need a bit longer than that," he muttered. Katara's eyes widened, looking down at his leg then back up at him as her cheeks pinked.

"Oh, oh Aang I'm so sorry," she breathed. "Sweetie, I just ... I completely forgot ... I was walking us so hard-"

"It's ok," Aang interrupted, grabbing her hand. "I may not be feeling what you're feeling but I get it, the spirit world does weird things to your head."

She got to her feet, he could see that her body was shaking slightly, but she seemed determined to forget this ordeal. "Ok, let me set up our camp and cook us some food."

"You don't have to," Aang said hurriedly, though he did not get so gracefully to his feet. His hand pressed against the back of her head as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, then turned to the face of the layered rock that still sheltered them from much of the sand.

His movement fluid and powerful, even with his weakened body, Aang pulled two long slants of rock from the large segmented boulder, forming a large tent that was easy big enough for them and their packs.

"Tah dah!" He grinned broadly back at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Ok, well let me sort out our grub at least."

Together they pulled their bedding from their packs, creating a soft surface of blankets and sleeping rolls across the sand in the tent, pushing their packs to the back of their make-shift cave. Aang set up the fire, the veg that they had brought with them now mostly wilted from the heat and clearly needing to be eaten today or thrown, was all cooked and they enjoyed what was close to a feast compared to what they had both been used to over the last number of weeks. After Katara had finished the last of her kebab, Aang felt it safe to speak, seeing that her posture had eased.

"Do you feel better?" She looked over at him and nodded. He smiled, before reaching out for her. "Come here, I want to show you something." She quipped her eyebrow, smiling wryly at him.

"I've already seen the desert, Aang," she said.

"Right, but have you seen the sky?"

She cocked her head, curiosity getting the better of her, a small smile playing across her lips before she gave him, shuffling over to him. Carefully he pulled her onto his lap, angling her so that her back was against his chest as he turned to face the entrance of the cave, the warm firelight casting shadows across the rock that danced as if they were alive. He pointed out past her, his hand gesturing to the sky that could be seen out over the top of the desert expanse. "Look," he said gently. She gasped, her eyes widening as she looked upon what could possibly be the most beautiful sky she had ever seen, in this world or her own. The night sky wasn't the inky black dotted with stars that she was so used to seeing back home and, though beautiful, it simply paled in comparison to the stunning array of colours that swirled and danced above them. It was similar to the Southern Lights that could be seen in the darkest depths of the polar winter, although with it's rich pinks and blues, the delicate tea greens and pastel purples, the lights here made the Southern Lights look like little more than a childs painting. A gentle hum could be heard, growing louder and more intense in time with the lights and swirling shapes swelling and winding against each other, almost like they were taking part in a passionate dance, humming the beats of their hearts.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, leaning back into his chest. Aang's eyes had drifted away from the sky, half hooded as he watched the way the lights played against her hair and skin, her eyes wide and sparkling with wonder. His heart beat so powerfully in his chest, and he sighed.

"Yeh ..."

She looked back at him, and blushed deeply when she saw that his eyes were on her, the sky seemingly forgotten. "Aang," she muttered, averting her gaze with an embarrassed smile. But for Aang there could be nothing embarrassing about this moment. She could still make him blush, could still leave his brain mush, and for the first time in a very long time the voices in his head had grown quiet. Her closeness to him over the past few days had left him feeling decidedly hot and bothered, his desire for her so strong yet his mind uncertain of what was right and responsible between them, but right now with the wonder in her eyes and the lights making her look more beautiful than he ever thought possible he felt nothing more than peace and contentment. Almost of their own accord he felt his hand raising to brush her hair back over her ear, pulling the soft tresses over her shoulder and leaning forward to press his lips against her neck. With a sharp intake of breath he felt her freeze and he pulled back, instead nuzzling her with his nose until her body softened and she leaned back into him. Taking his cue, he pressed his lips to her once more, leaving a soft trail of kisses from her ear to her shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure where his affections would be taking them, he didn't think of much beyond the sensation of being close to her again, but as she cocked her head, opening up more of her neck to him, he felt his heart start to pound. She breathed his name as he kissed across her jawline, and his hands fell from their place on her shoulders, stroking the top of her arms and placing kisses on all that he could read of her throat and neck before tentatively taking the lobe of her ear in his mouth, his teeth running against the soft skin. She shifted, and fearing that perhaps he had start to take things further than she was ready for, he pulled back. Her head turned so that she could look at him, their eyes meeting, so much love and wonder in both, and to his surprise she twisted her body over him, her legs now crossing around him as they found themselves face to face. His eyes searched hers and his heart pounded so loud in his ears he was certain she could hear it. With the fire and sky behind her, the light framing her hair, her face was mostly in darkness, but her could see her bright eyes searching him too and, as one, they leaned forward, lips connecting as their tongues danced a dance they knew so well. He had missed her, spirits of course he had. He had thought of their last morning together every night since he had left, their sweet little secret. Her warm breath was against his face, her body pressed so tightly against his, her fingertips pressed into his skin ... it was their secret. Her hands fell from around his neck, tracing down his chest, before traveling to his waist and pulling at the sash. A pleasant fog seemed to settle over his mind, that mild sweet disbelief that always came to him whenever she touched him in this way, and his hands ran down the outline of her waist and hips, and together they unclasped and untied, dropping belts to the side without breaking their kiss, lips pressed so tightly together as if their desire for one another was no longer a question but a burning fact.

Outside of their stone tent the wind began to pick up once more, the temperature dropping at an alarming rate. The lights continued their passionate dance, only faster and brighter. The sand seemed to swirl around the tent, picking up speed whilst inside a kiss was broken as tunics and dresses and bonds were pulled over heads. Their eyes made contact as their torsos were bared to one another for the first time in months, chests heaving as hearts pounded outside. Aang had every intention of being gentle, soft, slow deep kisses and lingering touches, but a growling desire came over him as the light danced over her bare shoulders. His hands dropped from her bare waist to her hips, and she couldn't hold back a moan as he pulled her to her knees, his head against her chest as his mouth began to explore. Their love making in the past had often been slow, tentative, eyes always searching for assurance, but here it felt different. Katara gasped as she felt Aang's mouth close around her nipple, tongue and teeth plucking and swirling across the sensitive skin, and his hands roamed towards her bottom, gripping hard and eliciting another moan from her. The first time they had made love Aang had been coming down from a terrifying high in the Avatar State, and the way he had grabbed her then, the way he had turned his rage into frantic desire was something that she had not experienced since. Though it had always been wonderful and intimate since, it had been soft, but as his mouth switched to her other nipple and his hands running down the back of her thighs she felt that same burning flame. If it wasn't so damn pleasurable she might have stopped him, fearful that perhaps he was pushing himself beyond what he felt comfortable and safe, especially after feeling that darkness at the edge of his soul, but as his right hand cupped down from between her legs and she cried out she realised she didn't care. She pulled back, dipping her head down and pressing her hungry lips against his, wanting to match his passion with her own. She felt a growl deep in his throat, his fingers digging into her body, and she pushed him back against the furs behind them, her legs straddling his hip as their kiss became a battle of tongues and gasping breaths, bodies pressed flush, their excitement starting a rhythmic grind against one another.

His hands pulled at the waistband of her leggings, and she raised her hips so that he could pulled her bottoms and bindings down in one swift movement, and as her naked body fell back onto his, his desire so obvious against her core she couldn't take it any more. She pulled her mouth from his, eyes looking into his and for the briefest of moments she was scared of what she might see looking back at her. But Aang's silver greys were still there, ablaze with his need for her, and she realised that this truly was Aang. There was nothing driving them but themselves. More excited by that thought than any other, she shimmied down his body, her hands hooking onto his bottoms and with his assistance they, too, were thrown to the side among their other shreds of clothing. Panting somewhat she pulled herself back up his body until they were once again face to face, eyes wide and hungry, and as soon as Katara pressed her mouth to his she felt him guide himself into her, and their gasping cries filled the cave.

It had only grown colder in the desert, the temperature dropping to a bitter cold that could threaten to turn the air to frost. The sand swirled faster and faster, the lights in the sky practically bursting in their intensity, as frantic moans and cries joined the humming, upping the tempo of it's dance. If Katara had been paying attention she would have seen the fire swell and spit beyond what the storm could be responsible for, and the whirlwind that had started to surround their tent, but she was so lost in the feel of Aang's touch, his hand on hips as she sat up, begging him to go faster. Her fingers dug into the skin of his chest, bringing small pools of blood to the surface just as tendrils of sand began to rise outside, but Aang seemed oblivious to the pain, his eyes locked upon her as her face contorted with pleasure. As she felt as though all of the blood in her body was circling around her core, the heat inside her rising to a temperature that was almost unbearable, she cried out his name, whimpering as she rode out her climax, her eyes shut tight. Aang's hands tightened around her, and she heard his panting, and she opened her eyes to find her pleasure instantly morph into fear as a blue light filled the tent, and she noticed fire flicked around their bodies, catching the blankets. His eyes were wide, looking into hers, though the bright glowing left him emotionless and terrifying. She felt his fingers dig into her skin just as she heard the scream of the elements outside of the tent, and her panic rose.

"Aang!"

Then, it stopped. The sand dropped back to the ground, the fire died out completely, and even the lights in the sky fell to a gentle glow. Aang's tattoos stopped glowing and she looked back down to see his familiar grey eyes looking into hers. Panting they looked at each other, Aang's expression that of complete horror before he sat up, gently pushing her away from him.

"Aang, wh-" she managed, grabbing one of the blankets and pulling it up against her front.

"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I-"

Panting she looked at him, and not for the first time she felt her fear of the darkness that framed his soul, the Avatar Spirit, that twisted presence that she had fought against whenever she healed him. But what truly broke her heart was seeing that same fear mirrored in his eyes, wide and frightened and confused. They both knew of the darkness hidden beneath his calm, sweet facade, knew the incredible power of the Avatar spirit, but never had it occurred to either of them that this darkness would break free from a place of passion. That anything other than pain and anger could set it free.

"Aang ..."

Katara didn't know what to say, as bitterly Aang shook his head, the realities of what had happened settling in as his fear and confusion was replaced with anger and disgust. He prayed for his heart to stop racing, for his head to clear for just a damn second so he could think. Katara dropped the blanket from her front as she reached to pull the furs away from the fire, and the sight of her naked body stirred the beast inside him once more. He looked away, but if Katara had noticed she did not let on, instead adjusting the bedding and reaching out to slip her hand into his.

"It's ok," she said softly. "We're both fine, no one was hurt-"

"But you could have been," Aang snapped, wrenching his hand from hers, refusing to look in her direction. "If you hadn't said ... if I'd ..." his voice trembled and his body shook, utterly unable to finish the sentence. "I wasn't me, I-"

"You're you now," Katara said patiently, her voice surprisingly even despite the wave of emotions crashing in on her. "And I need you to hold me."

His face became a picture of fear again, this time looking over at her as if she had grown two additional limbs.

"Hold- are you mad? After what just happened?"

"Aang, please, just come and lie down with me."

Feeling decidedly nauseous by this point, his body shaking, he cautiously slid closer, wincing as she pulled the blanket over him. Katara didn't know what the right thing was to do in this moment, it wasn't exactly like she had been prepared for it, but she knew Aang and she knew his every instinct was screaming at him to run, to get as far away from her, from this, as he could, and she could not let that happen. His body was tense as he lay down beside her, and almost as if to state with some defiance that he did not frighten her, she rolled onto her side, pushing her back flush with him as she pulled his stiff arm around her. For the longest moment neither of them moved, Aang's heart hammering against her back, still shaking, but in time her warmth and calmness comforted him. Hesitantly he lay his face against her hair, his arm tightened around her and reaching for her hand.

"I'm sorry I frightened you," he whispered. Katara gripped his hand in response.

"We know that nothing is going to be the same as it was until Tonrar is gone," she said quietly. "You're under such incredible stress, and fighting back the Avatar spirit, especially here. I should have known better."

"You?" Aang said, leaning up slightly so he could look down at her. "No, this is all on me, I'm the one that should have known better."

"Well, then I guess we both should have known better," she retorted, her tone becoming more playful. Aang opened his mouth to argue with her, but seeing the smirk on her face he could only role his eyes, settling back down and pressing his face back against her soft hair.

"Alright, you win," he mumbled, before Katara snorted a single laugh. He couldn't help it, the sound was infectious, and he began to smile. It had scared him, no it had terrified him, losing control so suddenly, with Katara's vulnerable form above him. He didn't know what would have happened if he had not been shocked into taking back control, he was sure that he didn't want to think about the possibilities, but among the cold dread settling in on his chest once more, there was another feeling there. One of hope, perhaps, if he could dare to experience such a thought again. Hope that, with Katara at his side, there was a good chance that he would get through this.


	4. The Dune Worm

Katara woke the next morning with the cool early desert breeze drifting in, gently brushing against her bare skin and rousing her from a deep yet fretful sleep, one filled with nightmares that she had already forgotten, extinguished like the fire that had kept them warm that night. With a small groan, her skin feeling cold, she reached her arms out, searching for the warm body that she had fallen asleep next to. When her arms met nothing, she opened her eyes, squinting through the bright low light that was angled just right in the sky as to be able to penetrate their secret cave. The blankets where Aang had been sleeping were pulled back and left crumpled at her feet, and she quickly sat up, propped on her right arm as she held her blanket to her chest. As she shook the belligerent fog of sleep aside, starting to recognise her surroundings, the memories of the night before came back to her, hard and sharp ... the lights in the sky, she and Aang making love, and the horrifying glow in his eyes as she looked down on him. She shuddered, hoping that he had not continued to blame himself, that he wouldn't see the episode as anything more than what it was, but by the spirits she knew him better than that by now. Huffing she rubbed her aching forehead. Although Aang's closeness had helped her overcoming the sickening call of the city in the desert, waking to find him gone left it room to close in on her once more, cruel whispers in her ear. The only way it would leave was to get there. She sighed, rubbing her palm across her face.

"Aang?"

Her gentle call remained unanswered, and frowning she reached about for her clothing, pulling it over her head before grabbing the blanket and wrapping it right around her. It had to be early for it to still be so cold, the perfect time for Aang to perhaps be meditating. She ducked from the cave, squinting and shivering.

"Aang ..?"

Again, there was no response, and she stepped away from the rocks into the open desert, worry now settling in as she looked out over the still, sandy landscape. She could see no footprints, no sign of Aang, and after the events of last night, coupled with his very strong instinct to run, a sense of dread grew in her stomach. A gentle breeze blew across the desert, picking up sand and gently blowing her hair across her face, and now feeling somewhat angry she swung round, looking behind her and brushing her hair irritably from her eyes.

"Aang, where are you?" she yelled, her voice now impatient as her concern grew. Then, a soft rustle of air came from her left and she looked back to see Aang dropping from the taller rocks with a haphazard grace, the weakness in his right evident. The doleful innocence on his face did nothing to placate her in that moment, and she scowled, her hands on her hips.

"Where were you?" she demanded. "Why didn't you answer me? I was worried sick!"

"I-I was meditating," he replied quickly, gesturing upwards to the rock with his thumb. "I'm sorry, Katara, I didn't hear you."

With a final flare of her nostrils and a deep breath, she forced herself to calm, her shoulder slumping. "Ok, good." But now her anger had started to fade, she began to notice the Avatar's appearance. He stood, dressed only in his trousers, and in the light of the new day it seemed she had not truly realised how much he had changed in the last several months. Aang had always been slim, Sokka would often joke that his glider weighed more than Aang did, but he had never been so painfully thin as he was now. Aang must have felt her weight of her gaze, as her eyes lingered on his prominent collar bone, the hollows between his ribs, because his expression tightened, and he stepped past her, heading towards the cave. Katara winced, feeling now guilty.

Cautiously she stepped towards the cave, watching as Aang now pulled on a top, before grabbing the bedding and starting to roll it, his gaze deliberately kept down.

"So, did your meditating help?" she asked, hesitantly. He glanced up.

"Help with what?"

"Well, you know, give you any answers, or clues ... spirit stuff."

To her great relief, he smiled, before shoving one of the blankets into a pack. "No spirit stuff," he said.

"So, what did you think about?" she pressed, now coming to help him pack their supplies, unsure as to whether she wanted to open the massive can of worms that was last night, but needing to know whether it would have an impact on his judgement.

"The idea is to not really think about anything," he replied, and she realised he was being deliberately evasive on the matter. He still smiled though, as if in defiance of the very real pain that he continued to feel. She debated pressing the subject, but her skin had now begun to crawl, the city so close, no doubt affected her own judgement, and her temper. Now was not the time.

"Alright, smarty pants," she grumbled. They continued to pack in silence, Aang handing her the very last of their food as they left the cave, the unspoken concern shared between them that they would soon start to suffer if they could not find food, and with a mild grunt from Aang as they stepped up onto the first dune, they began the last leg of their voyage across the desert.

It became clear to both of them not long later that Katara was having harder and harder a time the closer they got to the city. For Katara, her thoughts swiftly turned dark, memories of the last night coming back to her, images flashing in her minds eye of horrors she had long ago tried to hide. It wasn't just the city calling to her now, though it's call was impossible to ignore. No, it felt as though the world around it, the rest of the spirit lands, were pressing in on her as if to squeeze her from existence, and as strong as she was there was no doubt it would only be a matter of time before her mind crushed beneath it. She thought of her mother, she thought of seeing her dead and burned body in their home, of screaming and running to her father for help. She thought of her grandmother, her body too burned and buried in the snow. She thought of Aang, bloody and lifeless as he lay at the foot of a cave, whilst all the while Tonrar's face swam in the background. Not grinning, no the Tonrar in her mind found no amusement in her suffering, but simple indifference. He did not care of the pain he had inflicted upon her, she was just another human after all. But she was not indifferent to him. She walked only faster as her thoughts raced, Aang watching on with concern as, when he called to her, she seemed not to notice. As the city screamed her name, and the spirit world pushed her away, her entire focus became Tonrar. For all this monster had taken from Aang he had taken in equal measure from her ... her grandmother, her home, her world. He had tried to take her life too, and only days ago he had very nearly taken Aang's. If Innua had not dragged her and her father along to Koh's cave then Tonrar would have succeeded, sliced Aang's throat and left his body in the snow whilst the world rotted and turned to hell. She knew that all of that was still possible ... if it took them too long to find Tonrar, if Aang was not up to the task of taking the son of a bitch out, then everyone she knew and loved would perish along with their world.

There was more to her being here than just to look out for Aang, and she knew that well even if he had yet to realise it. She had sworn to herself that she would end Tonrar for good. That she would take his life and leave him dead in the snow and there would be no one to cry for him. No one to mourn the beast. Aang never could, never would, slay Tonrar, and as much as she trusted in him as the Avatar to do what was right, she knew that there was no way there could be any peace whilst that spirit still breathed. Not for her. From behind, Aang watched with concern in his eyes as her hands visibly gripped into fists.

As the morning passed by, the desert made it abundantly clear that it was going to be no less brutal towards them than it had been the day before. The temperature rose quickly, the wind kicked sand up into their eyes and their water supply fell dangerously low. Katara struggled on despite the pounding in her head and the increasingly dark thoughts that seemed to invade more of her mind the closer they got to the city. Though she kept her gaze down away from the sand much of the time, she would occasionally fix her gaze on the horizon ahead, catching glimpses of the city, willing her forwards. In truth, neither of them knew what they were going to find there, or worse, whether it would be a trap set for them by Tonrar ... their journey's end could lie in that city and she, Katara, was dragging them towards it ever faster. But there was also the possibility that there could be nothing in the city, that they should find themselves in an empty stone prison in the middle of a vast desert, trapped with no food and next to no water. But they could not allow themselves to consider that possibility. The pup spirit had pointed them here for a reason. Granted it had first led them into a trap, but that could have also been bad luck.

Part way through the journey Katara heard sand slide away behind her, and momentarily pulled from her ruminations she looked round to see that Aang was fairing far worse than she was. He may have been her pillar of strength last night, but looking at him now, exhausted and limping, struggling with the sand giving way under his already unstable footing, she could see that he was far weaker than he had let on. She had marched a good way ahead of him, and she realised that she had not paid him any heed almost since they first set off from the cave. She stopped at the crest of another dune, looking away from the struggling Aang and towards the city. It was so close now, it pulled at her desperately, if they pushed they could make it before the afternoon gave way to evening, but one glance back at Aang made it clear that was to be no further pushing at this point.

"Aang?" He looked up at her, and she could see him instantly try to cover the tiredness in his expression. "We need to stop."

"Why? We're nearly there."

"Because you can hardly walk," she sighed, dropping back down the dune towards him. "Why didn't you just tell me you were tired? We have plenty of hours of daylight left, we can afford to take a quick break."

Aang opened his mouth, perhaps to tell her that he had called to her many times over the hours, but shut it again. This was the spirit world. Weird stuff happened. Instead, he nodded in response, grimacing as he straightened out his back. "We can sit in the shade of this dune," he mumbled, nodding towards it.

In truth, there really wasn't much shade to speak of here. The sun was just past it's highest point in the sky, and though that mean that it should theoretically start to get cooler from this point, for now they were sat in almost direct sunlight, the heat still leaving their bodies layered in sweat. But despite their obvious discomfort, it was only when Aang sat down, wincing as he rested his back against the hot sand, that Katara was able to see just how much his leg was hurting him. He couldn't lie it flat, instead sitting with his knee bent, his hand gripping his hip as he closed his eyes and his lips automatically curled.

"Let me have a look at it," Katara ordered softly, grabbing her hip flask and shaking it slightly to test how much water remained. Aang opened an eye, looking over at her and pushing the pain from his face.

"You'll need that water. I'm fine, just need a quick breather."

"Aang you're practically shaking," she reasoned. "Or do you think I'm being unreasonable?" Aang hesitated.

"No ..?" he ventured, unsure.

"Good, now take your trousers off."

He hesitated again. "But ... Katara the sand is really hot."

She threw her pack at him, a small slither of humour managing to break through the haze that had enveloped her. "Well then sit on the pack! Clearly you don't have to be smart to be the Avatar."

Aang shot her a glare as he untied his sash. "You know what, I might just have to drag you back to the tear. I didn't realise spirit world Katara would be quite so cranky."

"Don't push me, Avatar," Katara responded, brandishing the flask in his face. "I grew up in the bloody South Pole, this desert heat does not agree with me and I might become violent." In response a small smile pulled at Aang's lips, making it clear that he understood. She dropped to his side to take a look at his leg, and with a jolt to the heart a disappointed hiss passed through her teeth. From his hip to his knee was horribly bruised, painted yellow and black and all shades in-between. She tentatively lifted his shirt, seeing that the bruising had begun to spread up his side, the network of veins beneath his pale skin looking worriedly red.

"You weren't nearly healed up enough to cross over in the first place!" she all but yelled. "This was a huge mistake, and how the hell you had it in you to do what you did last night I, well ..." she blushed suddenly, her face hot. "Well, this does not look good!"

"I didn't have a choice," Aang replied gruffly, wincing as she placed her hands against his leg, the water glowing between them. "We needed to cross the desert, and in my defense we hadn't done that in a very long time."

She looked up, his face also red, his expression practically that of a sulk as he glared out of the desert. It would have been comical, had she not been so concerned about the state of his injuries.

"Well we're going to have to wait a hell of a lot longer now, look at this ..." she whistled through her teeth as she leaned in, closely examining to bruising and veins across his body. Although they were both already warm and clammy, his hip and side were burning to the touch, and he winced each time her fingers simply brushed the skin. "I'm worried about this, it looks like there could be some infection ..."

"Well, you're the healer, don't let me tell you how to deal with it," Aang muttered through gritted teeth, his body tense as she fingered the area. She sighed, spreading her palms and allowing the tepid water to move up his body. She could see, not only by his face, but in the knotted nature of his chi that he was in a great deal more pain that he was letting on. For the next ten minutes she worked, doing the best that she could with the old water she still held onto, yet knowing that if her suspicions were correct then it would soon take more than her healing to fight back an infection.

"Right, well I've done all that I can do for now," she said at last, putting was remained of the water back in her flask and standing up. "Until we find a fresh water source, maybe some herbs, I don't think I can do any better."

"Thank you, Katara."

"Don't mention it." She gestured for him to pass her pack back to her. She knew that Aang was fully aware that she was not communicating the full extend of her worry, but the way he bravely got to his feet, even offering a small smile as he handed her the pack, she knew that he was not going to be pushing the matter. Winching, he looked over to where the city stood, blurring in the haze, yet very much real.

"Let's keep going," he said, adjusting the shoulder straps on his pack and limping onward. For a brief moment, Katara remained still, watching him, before sighing and taking his lead.

Whilst she had not been able to do much, the healing session had certainly taken some of the edge off of Aang's discomfort, and he walked with relative more mobility across the shifting dunes for the next leg of their journey. On this occasion, Katara followed behind him, focusing as much energy as she could spare fighting against the agonizing pull of the spirit city ahead of them. It was getting stronger, it was getting painful by this point, and she found herself simply praying that the feeling would ease once they finally found their way to the city. But it wasn't long before the spirit world made it entirely clear that it was no longer content to fight her just mentally.

It was as they crested the final dune, the city wall tall and imposing ahead of them, that they each began to finally feel some sort of relief. Together the pair stood, appraising the large sand coloured walls, and the large, gate-less partition cut into them that lead directly into the city. Up close it was an unusual thing to behold, almost like it had been created by people who had only the briefest notion of what a city should look like. The stones of the walls were haphazardly collected and placed, and though neither of them had any idea how long the city had stood here in the desert, it seemed highly unlikely that a structure of this nature could possibly have survived the desert for long. Aang kicked off his boots, wincing at the fresh stab of pain that shot up his hip, before digging his heels into the sand to try and get some sort of bearing on what, if anything, was inside of the city. Though try as he might to concentrate, beyond the gentle shifting of the sand he couldn't sense a thing.

"Anything?" Katara asked quietly, her un-trusting eyes still scaling the walls and looking for signs of life.

"Not as far as I can feel," Aang replied. "I don't get it ... why would the spirit lead us here if there's nothing?"

"Well ... maybe the spirit wasn't leading us," Katara ventured. "It could have just been playing with the stick."

"No," Aang responded, his voice sharp for a moment. "I'm certain it was no coincidence."

"Then let's go in. I'm pretty much done with this desert by now and if I'm honest I really could do with an end to this headache." Aang glanced over at her, noting her pained expression, and nodded.

"Ok, but stay behind me. This is the spirit world, the rules aren't the same, there could be thing in there that even Toph couldn't see."

"Oh, she wouldn't have liked to hear that."

"No, she'd probably bury me six feet under if she had hear-" he paused, eyes wide as he looked around them. "Wait, shh!" Katara froze, a frown on her face as she looked nervously about. "Shh, can you feel that?"

"You forget I'm not an earth bender," she all but snapped, eyes darting about. "Aang, I can't see anything."

"There's something else here," he replied, digging his heals further into the sand, "I can't really make much out but ... something big." He hurriedly pulled his feet from the sand and pulled on his boots, grabbing his own almost depleted hip flask and chucking it towards her. "It's headed this way."

"I can't see anything!" Katara repeated. "Are you sure?"

It was then that a low rumble spread through the sand beneath their feet, the dune they were stood on shaking, grains cascading down it's side. The looked back across the desert, away from the city, and watched in horror as a winding coil of sand appeared across the surface, slithering towards them so quickly that they were only able to jump back a couple of paces before the sand erupted, the thick wave threatening to bury them as they covered their face. A high pitched, metallic roar filled the air, and wide eyed the pair looked up to see a large faceless beast, it's head nothing but snapping jaws on a long snake-like body, bearing down on them.

"Yeh, I'm sure!"

Katara could have killed his for his poor timing when it came to sarcasm, but then came the second high screaming as the sand worm leaved back, head poised for a strike. She pulled water from her flask, holding it before her as a shield.  
"Aang, what do we do?" she yelled over the deafening howl.

"We run!" He grabbed her roughly by the wrist, making her drop all her water to the sand as he pulled her with him down the dune, just as the sand worm attacked. It's face collided with the sand, the wave picking the two benders up and throwing them across the desert. Katara landed painfully on the ground, sand billowing up into her face and making her cough, but before she had a second to get her bearings back she felt Aang's hand on her shoulder, pulling her from the ground.

"Get to the city!" he yelled, pushing her forwards unceremoniously. Choking she looked back with streaming eyes to see Aang turn to face the spirit that was already back after them.

"Not without you!"

The giant spirit lunged at them once more, and Aang was forced to grab her around the waist, jumping back as quikcly as he could from it's path. Even struggling to breathe through the face-full of sand she received in the process, Katara heard the pained grunt from Aang as he landed, and quickly she shook her head, looking back at him.

"You don't have any water left," he said, before she could offer more protest. "Get to the city!"

"But you can't-"

"Go!"

She watched as he pulled a wall of sand up between themselves and the spirit, knocking it off course as it threw itself at them again, it's body as tall as a temple crashing once more into the dunes. With one last agonising glance and a snarl she turned and ran towards the city, praying that inside she would find water, a weapon, anything that she could use to help fight off the sand worm. Another thundering crash came from behind her and she looked back over her shoulder to see Aang jumping out of the way as he was attacked once more. Growling she forced her legs to run faster, the city getting closer and closer. Had she been less panicked she may have at least temporarily noticed the haphazard beauty of the white marble stones that made up the curved stairs that led to the entrance, but panting heavily she took them two at a time, her boots skidding across the ground as she entered a wide courtyard beyond.

"Anything I can use, anything?" she breathed, spinning on the spot, eyes wide. "Had to be a bloody desert, why not a swamp?" But with a gasp she spotted what seemed to be a depression in the stone further one, what could pass for a fountain in the middle of the courtyard. "Please have water, please have water ..." She ran over, her boots clapping loudly against the white stone floor in the deathly silent city, and let out a cry of relief when she saw that the fountain was surrounded by a deep pond of muggy green water.

"Yes! Oh thank the spirits!" She bent as much as she could out, both arms angling to her left as she turned and sprinted back towards the desert, focusing all her skill on not losing a single drop of water. As she jumped back down the stairs she had a heart stopping moment when she could see the worm, tall and searching, but no Aang. Then, as she looked closer, she noticed that the worm was not searching, but shaking it's head this way and this, screeching with irritation, whilst Aang sat atop it's head, what appeared to be a rope of sand inside of it's mouth as he tried to get the beast to turn back into to the desert. But as skilled as Aang was, the sand could only be compacted so much, and was starting to crumble under the beasts gnashing jaws.

"Aang!"

Both the Avatar and the spirit heard her call, the latter's great head turning to face her. In an instant it stopped fighting against it's constraints, it's wide horrible mouth filled with several rows of blunt teeth widening as it hurried in her direction. Aang held on, calling her name in warning but she was prepared. She had almost the entire contents of the pond in her hands and just as Aang made one last tug on the creatures mouth, coaxing a pained screech from it as it's head turned sharply to the right, Katara attacked, the water encasing it's front half and freezing around it. Aang jumped free as he saw the water fired in his direction, colliding painfully with the sand, as Katara grit her teeth and let the water encase the rest of the worm's exposed body. In that moment, she saw red, her hands shaking with all of the emotion and anger that had been building since they had first caught sight of the city, and she let the water invade the spirits body, seeping into it's pores and feeling deep into it's organs. Then, with a gasp, she let go, all at once realising how far she had pushed but unable to take her actions back as the worm fell to the ground, head colliding with the stone steps and smashing, leaving the ground covered in pieces of frozen flesh and blood. She stood, her chest heaving as she panted, eyes wide with the realisation of what she had done.

"Katara!" Aang limped to her side, breathing hard and struggling with his hip. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Katara, wh-" He stopped, his face decidedly green with the combination of pain and perhaps the frozen pieces of spirit that surrounded them. She braced herself, waiting for him to show his horror and disappointment, but instead he turned to her, a shaking hand reaching out to cup her cheek as his grey eyes looked into her. "Are you ok?" She swallowed, looking back at him before, slowly, it dawned on her that she was. Actually she had not felt so clear headed in days.

"Yes." She gently pulled away from Aang, looking back at the city. "Yes, I-I'm fine." She looked back to him. "My head feels clearer, I think it's because we're here, at the city."

Aang now looked at the structure, still confused by the rough way it had been put together and how unlikely it seemed it could survive in the desert, both pleased and apprehensive at how it had helped Katara now that they were here.

He felt Katara's fingers entwine his, and she raised her eyebrows. "Well, let's check it out."

The courtyard that they stepped into was large and wide, the stone floor made from what looked like roughly hewn marble, much like the steps that had led them there, and though it was silent it was still in itself full of life. Thriving fruit trees and shrubs surrounded them, with tall archways either side of them framing the courtyard. In the center stood the fountain and pond, long stained with algae and weed, but intact all the same. The buildings that they could see surrounding the courtyard were made from a mix of stones, but each with the same green tiled roofing, with even small birds roosting on top. It wasn't just the thriving beauty of the place that marveled them, but also how the sound of the desert beyond with it's constant billowing wind and shifting sands had dimmed to nothing, covered perhaps by the sound of one rather plump bunting watching them with dark beady eyes, perhaps warning to rest of the wildlife of the arrival of the two bruised and dirty travelers that had just charged into their home.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Katara breathed, walked forward, eyes wide and delighted. She looked back when Aang failed to answer, and saw him looking around them, brow furrowed and tense. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know yet," he mumbled in return, lighting a small ball of flame in his right hand as he looked back over his shoulder, frowning. "But I don't think we're alone."

"There's someone else here?" Katara asked.

"Yeh, me kiddo. And I'll tell you something my ass went to sleep about two days ago waiting for you, so how's about you start paying attention?"

Katara and Aang swung around, looking towards one of the arches to their left. Upon the arch, leaning forward with elbows on his knees, one hand propping his chin, a young bald man with blue tattoos and orange robes sat, a positively bored expression on his face.

"'Sup."

 **Hey folks! I am so sorry that it has taken me such a long time to get the update to you. Long story short, I had surgery a month ago, recovery was a bit tough so a few things had to go on the back burner including this story. But, I am back now, and I hope to be updating on a more regular basis again. Thanks for sticking about and for the reviews that have come in that time!**

 **Also, in response to one guest review, yes this is a rewrite! I wasn't happy with the previous version so did a complete revision of it. We are fast catching up to where the first version left off, and I'm pretty excited to see how y'all react! Kuaishu.**


	5. Kanto

The Fire Nation was well used to it's fair share of war and drama. Granted, the last century had offered little else for the entire world, but the difference between the two other remaining nation's and the Fire Nation was that Fire was very good at it.

Although there was yet to be any solid evidence as to a coming war between the Fire Nation and the Northern Water Tribe, the Firelord had wasted little time preparing his soldiers at arms, setting sentries at each vantage point from the surrounding ocean, creating vast blockades from the snow and ice that, for once, could prove an advantage to them. In the wide courtyard of the barracks, soldiers practiced their sword skills and bending, making it very clear that, although the Hundred Year War had ended over five years ago, they not forgotten exactly what they had been trained for. Even the civilians ran through their evacuation drills, each of them familiarizing themselves with the closest safe point should the Northern ships appear on the horizon. It ran like a slickly oiled machine, a Nation that was already so familiar with war that it seemed so natural to them to prepare for it, especially when their Firelord stood among them, his frame glowing in the snow.

At first, Chief Hakoda had tried to advise the Firelord against informing his people of a war that may not even happen, in favour perhaps of keeping things close to their chests until they knew more. In silence Zuko had listened, sat on his throne as Hakoda offered his thoughts, their friends sat around them.

"It will cause panic, Zuko," Hakoda had explained, patiently. "Surely we should wait until we know about this invasion before worrying your people?"

Zuko had remained silent, and Hakoda had let out a heavy sigh.

"Look, I have been managing people for longer than I care to think about ... the idea of war terrifies people! And when we're already dealing with the storm and your dwindling supplies, I doubt the reaction will be anything less than panic."

It was Zuko's turn to sigh, taking a deep breath, his amber eyes focusing on the Chief's clear blue eyes.

"I respect your opinion, Hakoda, you know that I do. But you are forgetting once very crucial detail. We are Fire Nation. War doesn't frighten us, it's all any of my people have known for a hundred years, and I can assure you none of them will be letting their fear overcome them when the Northern Water Tribe are at our shores."

From that point onward, the capital had only proven his statement true. Huddled in the storm, torches held high and faces resolute the people had listened to their Firelord inform them of the possible invasion from the North. He had called for the great men and women of his Nation to unite and fight for their home, their family, their friends, their people, and a deafening roar had come as their reply. In truth, it had sent chills down the spines of the Firelord's companions, each of them imagining how the fiery resolve of the Fire Nation had haunted so much of their lives, and Hakoda was left with no doubt that Zuko's people would never stand down to this enemy.

For the other members of the gang there was, undeniably, an air of concern and apprehension about them, particularly as Suki grew from strength to strength after her brush with death. For she and Sokka, other matters between them had suddenly grown more urgent. They had all been born in a time of war, yet this new era of peace they had all fought for after Firelord Ozai had been defeated had left them all daring to feel hopeful again, and for one couple that hope had extended to their future. Though they were not yet engaged, let alone married, the pair were never coy when it came to discussions about what they hoped for the future, and that future always involved children. But after coming so close to death, with the future of the world suddenly so unsure, it was difficult for either of them to accept the very real possibility that these opportunities might already have been taken from them. Suki, determined to be of use, stood at Zuko's side once more as she, along with Ty Lee and General Mamoru, worked to keep peace in the city. Sokka had thrown himself into defense preparations, working closely with the Fire Nation's best engineer, Griza Masina. At Sokka's request the air ships had been called out from their retirement, and plans were set in place to make them less detectable and much more efficient in the heavy storms to outmatch the North's ships. In truth, it was as much about avoiding the turmoil in their hearts as it was out there.

The Air Acolyte's, Xing Ying and Yee-Li, had been left in charge of caring for Appa and the newest addition to the team. Yuva, in all her cuteness, had started to grow from a little issue to one big problem, the rate of her growth and her lack of inhibition and understanding of humans making her a rather dangerous pet to have around the Palace. Appa's trust in Xing Ying, and Yuva's adoration for her, had made her the obvious choice to try and tame the young bison, and with Yee-Li being so objected towards involving herself in any fighting, she had been sent off to join her.

But the Air Acolytes weren't the only ones who had fallen in a role early on. Just as Sokka had gotten involved in the artillery side of preparations, Toph had appointed herself as a member of the Fire Nation's security team, using her earth bending skills to keep a close watch on all the comings and goings in and out of the Palace. To the surprise of nobody, she proved herself very good at this task, and had in fact shown that she was incredibly versatile when it came to improving the efficiency of her rounds. The day after they had received the news of Aang and Katara's trip into the spirit world from Hakoda she had gone to Sokka with a request, to help her create a pair of metal boots that she could wear when exposed to the bitter, freezing conditions of the streets without compromising her ability to do her job. It had taken them until lunchtime to fashion the boots, which had a removable sole that she could slide to the back of her heal with bending so that she could get a much closer look at her surroundings when needed.

"I can't see these, but I can tell they're completely badass," Toph had said, stomping on the ground. Sokka had laughed, grinning proudly as he too admired their product.

Dressed in furs and metal boots, Toph's short stature and cold glare had become quite the talking point of the Capital, people coming out to watch as she patrolled the area twice daily with two of Mamoru's top men. Yet, as bizarre as she looked, there wasn't a soul out there that would say a word as she passed, and she could barely contain the self satisfied grin from spreading across her lips when she heard them whisper in awe.

It was during one of Toph's daily rounds that their first true indication of the coming invasion appeared to them. The day started just like all the others, with their morning meeting to discuss any changed plans or developments. The barricades placed strategically across the mountain landscape the city was built upon were almost complete, with only the long range barricades close to the Palace left to finish. Sokka had proudly stated that the air ships were well on their way to completion too, and that he had complete confidence that they would excel in the storm. Xing Ying had piped up that, although she would still dive head first into furniture and people, Yuva almost always came to her name now, so that had to be considered some sort of progress. From, Toph's perspective, she had little time for the baby bison, and had failed to coo over it as the others had. She supposed for Aang finding Yuva must have been an incredible moment, seeing that there was more that survived from his culture than just himself, Appa and Momo. But to her this rambunctious and annoying little fluffball reminded her that Aang wasn't here, and that there was a chance he may never be.

Hiding the bitterness she felt she had stood, indifferent to what Xing Ying was saying despite it encouraging a rare chuckle from the others, lowering her hands and tightening the belt around her waist. Since she and Sokka had fashioned her boots she had taken to wearing metal bands across her waist, shoulders, and arms, that she bent to fit her body. Upon these bands sat an additional layer of bands that she could call upon them when needed. Sokka had likened them to his boomerang, in the sense that their function was much the same.

"If all you ladies don't mind, I'm going to start my rounds," she announced.

"I think Dekho and Heishi are still with Mamoru," Zuko said, though he kept his eyes fixed on the pile of paper work on his lap.

"Yeh yeh, don't worry, I won't forget the damn baby sitters," Toph muttered, turning on her heel. From the beginning she had said that should could do the rounds by herself, but Mamoru had insisted on Toph bringing two guards of her choosing with her. Zuko, being the utter pushover that he was, had agreed and so she had been forced to drag Lieutenant Dekho and his underling, Heishi, along with her. She was pretty sure they were there to keep an eye on her as much as they were the coastline. She stopped outside of the General's office, rapping her knuckles against the door impatiently until Mamoru opened it, bristled and irritated by Toph's rude interruption.

"You finished grilling them?" Toph asked before the General could speak. "Got a job to do."

Mamoru frowned, her eyes flashing and huffing.

"Jeeze, it's a joke," Toph sighed, attempting to roll her eyes. The General looked as though she was going to respond, but instead she stepped back, holding the door wide.

"You are dismissed," she said to Dekho and Heishi, the two bowing to their superior before filing out, having to then hurry after Toph as she marched down the corridor.

Truthfully, they weren't so bad. Dekho had a good sense of humour, whilst Heishi tended to keep pretty much to himself much of the time, following her lead and only acting when asked. She certainly could have been lumped with much worse. But none-the-less the fact that Mamoru had insisted on baby sitters pissed her off.

"No time for pleasantries this morning then, Miss Beifong?" Dekho had asked cheerily as he caught up with her.

"You bet your sweet ass there ain't," she returned shortly. "Quit your yabbering." Toph ignored the chuckle from the Lieutenant, bracing herself for the bitter gale bursting through the front doors as the guards stood by them pulled them open. _It's getting colder_ , she noted, grimacing as the freezing temperature instantly left her cheeks flushed. If Aang didn't hurry up and deal with whatever he was doing in the spirit world soon then he would be coming back to find the city home to a thousand icicles, and she sure as hell would be raising the finger in salute.

Her route took her mainly around the perimeter of the Capital, a long walk of a few hours on average, past the main mass of the barricades and the docks and coastline where she was betting their spot anything if it headed their way. So far, they had seen nothing, but although everyone else in the Fire Nation seemed to be expecting a large Northern Water Tribe ship on the horizon, Toph was betting they'd send a smaller party first. Someone that could slip in past their guards, getting the lay of the land and the Firelord's defenses before slinking back to that slimy weasel Hanh. It was what she'd do anyway. If the North ever did come here she would be first in line to take the so-called General down a peg or two, perhaps tie him to a life boat and see how he fared out in the open ocean.

"There's a lot more activity on the docks this morning."

Toph heard Dekho's comment, and though she had already cast her unique sight over the dockyards she paused and sought once again, slipping the metal sole of her boots back into her heels so that she could get a better look.

"Yeh, but nothing we need to worry about. Sokka mentioned that he was curious how well he could adapt the ships to carry artillery."

"Impressive," Heishi muttered to himself. If Toph could accurately roll her eyes she would have done. The threesome continued their patrol, Dekho and Heishi both nodding to citizens as they passed, whilst Toph ignored them. She, after all, had a job to do.

It wasn't until the end of their morning rounds that the first Northern Water Tribe member walked on Fire Nation soil since Innua had left them over a month previous. It was pretty hard to make out any subtle sounds over the howling wind and biting cold, but she heard it none-the-less, the gentle thud, the sound of water lapping against wood, and hoarse tired breaths. She froze, raising her fist to indicate that the men behind her do the same, kicking her sole back again and focusing all her attention to the ground below as she slammed down her heel. Not far from them there was someone lying on the coast, someone she was almost certain was not Fire Nation. Quick as a flash she stalked forward, lowering her hands to waist level, gripping her fists and pulling lose the bands of metal that clung to her belt. With a surprised cry the bands made contact with a pair of wrists, wrapping around them and pining them and their owner to the ground, and instantly Dekho and Heishi raised their spears as the figure became clear through the storm, grunting and panting.

"Boy didn't you pick the wrong day to invade the Fire Nation?" Toph scoffed, standing at the man's head, her fists on her hips. The man, soaked and dressed in torn blue clothes lay flat on his back, arms spread wide as the metal bands kept him trapped there. He looked up at the short but impossible figure looming over him and swallowed.

"Please, I'm not ... I'm not here to attack anyone," he managed, still breathing heavily. From the feel of him through the ground Toph could tell that he had only just washed up to shore, his battered boat not far from him along the coast. She raised her hand and waved towards it, and Heishi broke away to investigate.

"Not that you'd be of any use to the Northerners if you were," Toph said, upper lip curling. "Wait ..." She paused, realising that the feel of this man, his voice, sounded familiar to her. "I know you, you're one of Innua's cronies!"

"No!" the man protested, sounding panicked. "I mean ... yes, I- please, I'm not here to hurt any of you."

"If this is the first of the Northern invasion I really don't think we have anything to worry about, guys," Toph interrupted with a smirk.

"You ... know?"

Toph barked with laughter.

"Of course we knew. Your super secret plan ain't nearly as super secret as you all thought it was." She raised her head, cocking it slightly in Heishi's direction. "Anything worthy of note?"

"Nothing," Heishi replied, still leaning into the boat. "Completely empty and looks like it'll fall apart any second."

"Alright then, well let's get to it." She cracked her knuckles, turning her sightless gaze back down to the man on the ground. "Ok, Kanto of the Northern Water Tribe, if you know me like I hope you do then you'll know that I don't really care much for messing around, so I'm going to be straight with you. Either you tell me exactly why you are here, or I kick you back in that boat and let those weights drag you down."

Dekho stirred behind her, alarmed, but she ignored him, keeping her focus on the man cowering below here.

"I'm here to warn you!" he said hurriedly. "I- I need to speak to the Firelord!"

"And why would I let you do that?"

"Because you are all in very grave danger," Kanto breathed, "I just want to help."

Toph frowned, her feet pressed into the sodden earth. She sensed no word of a lie from Innua's henchman ... bit that didn't change the fact that he was one of them.

"We know the Northern Tribe are planning an invasion," she said coldly. "Your warning has come quite a few weeks late, I'm afraid."

"But there are things you still don't know," Kanto insisted, struggling from his position on the ground. "Things about Innua, things about the Avatar!"

Toph went rigid, her breath hitched. She couldn't think what he could possibly know about Aang that they already didn't; they knew he was in the spirit world with Katara, they knew that he had been injured by Tonrar. But the certainty and the urgency in his voice alarmed her, left her feeling uneasy. She was also certain that Zuko would not want to pass up an opportunity to learn more about Innua.

"Grab him," she ordered.

Dekho and Heishu moved forwards, grabbing the young man and pulling him to his feet. With a flick of her hand the two metal bands round his wrists came together in front of him like shackles.

"I'll take you to the Firelord," she said. "But I'd get praying that you have something to tell us that we don't already know, or you're really going to regret coming here."

The horns blared as Toph, the guards, and their prisoner scaled the hill to the Palace. General Mamoru was the first to the scene, her eyes flashing dangerously at the sight of the man hauled between them.

"Who is this?" she demanded, stopping in front of Toph.

"My prisoner," Toph responded, "who has asked for audience with the Firelord."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that either myself of the Firelord would allow that?"

"Because he claims to have information that would be useful to us." Mamoru scoffed at this.

"And you think he's telling the truth?"

"I always know when someone is telling the truth," Toph replied with a smirk. "And I mean always."

With a brief pause and flaring of her nostrils, Mamoru jerked her head and indicated that they should follow. Grunting the prisoner was pulled forward with a flick of Toph's wrist, Dekho and Heishi pushing him after them. The guards pulled back the doors, narrowed eyes focusing on the Northern man who, wisely, chose to remain silent, keeping his face down and his eyes locked to Toph's feet.

"Go," Mamoru said to one of the guards, "speak to the Firelord, tell him that we have a prisoner from the Northern Water Tribe for questioning."

The guard bowed, before turning and running down the wide corridor to the throne room. Mamoru paused, standing before Toph and waiting until the front gates were shut tight.

"The prisoner is secured?" she asked. Toph raised an eyebrow, lifting her hand. With another grunt the prisoners wrists were pulled into the air by the bands around them.

"He's not going anywhere without my say so."

"And he was alone?"

"Yes, Mamoru, he was alone. Trust me to do my job properly, won't you?" With a derisive grunt the General turned and lead them down the corridor.

Toph felt a shudder run through the prisoner as the tall doors to the throne room opened with an ominous thud. The tall pillars either side of the central walkway were aflame, casting an eerie shadow across the room. Upon his throne sat the Firelord, shining metal hairpiece atop his head and a cold look in his eyes as he looked down at them. First the first time since he had taken over from his father as the Firelord, the curtain and fires in front of the throne were lit, and Toph realised just how seriously Zuko was taking this threat from the Northern Water Tribe. If his aim had been to intimidate Kanto then he certainly had done that, she she could feel the fast beating of the prisoner's heart. Bitterly she found herself reminded of Aang, and how horrified he no doubt would have been to see Zuko looking as he did now.

"Lieutenant Dekho, guardsman Heishi, you can leave," Zuko said, his voice low and level. "Stand guard outside the doors."

Dekho and Heishi released the prisoners arms, who stumbled slightly as they both bowed, before leaving the room and shutting the tall doors behind them, leaving an unsettled silence interrupted by the crackling of the fires.

"Bring the prisoner forward."

With a casual flick of her wrist, the metal bands around Kanto's wrists pulled him towards her, and dutifully he followed as they made their way to the clearing just before the throne. She was a little surprised to see that Chief Hakoda was in the room, and he stood leaning against one of the pillars. As they got closer to the flames, the glare illuminated the face of the prisoner and Hakoda's eyes widened. As Kanto stopped in front of the Firelord both Toph and Mamoru took a step back, Mamoru bowing to her Firelord whilst Toph crossed her arms across her chest.

"You can start by telling us why you're here," Zuko began, his cool gaze on the prisoners face.

"I know who he is." Hakoda stepped forward, his expression that of contempt as he looked at the man. Kanto seemed to jump, his awe at the sight of the Firelord in front of him seeming to have left the Southern man in the shadows invisible to him. "This is the man who kidnapped my daughter. The man who cut her throat, who was willing to watch the Avatar die. One of Innua's right hand men, isn't that right?"

A deafening silence ran out across the room, and Kanto swallowed audibly.

"That wasn't exactly the plan," he said lamely.

"So you admit to these things?" Zuko asked. "It's Kanto, isn't it?"

The prisoner's eyes darted between Zuko and Hakoda, visibly starting to sweat. "Yes and no," he stammered. "I mean, yes my name is Kanto, and yes technically I did kidnap and put a knife to your daughter, but under Innua's orders! I'm not her right hand man and I was not willing to watch the Avatar die-"

"Liar," Hakoda growled, his hands curling into fists.

"Well, I suppose that's true," Kanto said quietly, swallowing. "But I'm a soldier in the Northern Fighters and I serve Chief Arnook, not Innua."

"Arnook would never allow this," Hakoda all but spat. "Arnook would never call for the kidnapping of my daughter or the attempted murder of the Avatar." At this, Kanto's eyes widened.

"Attempted? You mean the Avatar is still alive?"

Another silence followed his words, and Toph was somewhat taken back by the ecstatic relief in his voice.

"Yes, the Avatar survived," Zuko replied cautiously.

"Then I have to speak with him! We can't waste any ti-"

"Why are you here?" Zuko demanded, cutting over him. "You said that kidnapping Katara wasn't part of the plan. What plan?"

"See this is why I would really like to speak to the Avatar," Kanto persisted.

"The Avatar isn't here, asswipe," Toph interrupted.

"If you want to speak to someone you speak to me," Zuko said, "so tell me, why did you kidnap Katara and what was Innua's plan?"

Kanto hesitated, glancing between Toph, the Firelord, and the Chief, fidgeting uncomfortably. "The Avatar was supposed to be here when Innua and the others arrived with supplies," he said at length. "Innua planned to force the Avatar to show her where the spirit, Koh, was."

"Why?" Zuko interrupted. "What did Innua want with the spirit?"

"She said that the spirit was powerful, that with it's help she could make the North more powerful, to help them to reconnect with the spirits once more."

"Arnook agreed to this?" Hakoda asked. Kanto looked over apologetically.

"Yes," he replied. "Though he had no idea how Innua planned to get to the spirit, that she needed the Avatar to do so."

"And why take Katara? Why kidnap her when you realised the Avatar wasn't so here?"

"I want you to know I argued against it!" Kanto said immediately. "I tried to persuade Innua that it wasn't the way to go about it, but you have to understand ... Innua is a killer. You have no idea what she is capable of."

"So, you're a coward," Hakoda said simply.

For a second, Kanto's face went red, and he looked as though he was going to argue, but instead he took a deep breath. "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but please hear me out. I only did what Innua told me to do because I thought what she was doing was for the better of my Tribe, but I always knew that there would be something more to it. I thought maybe I could work out what she was really after and then, maybe, I could stop her."

"You're right," Zuko said, "we have no reason to trust you. All your words are nonsense, especially when we consider your actions. You helped Innua kidnap Katara, you cut her throat when Innua ordered you to, you held Katara back long enough for Tonrar to return!"

"I had no idea about any of that!" Kanto yelled. "I didn't know anything about Tonrar until the Avatar told us about him back in the Ba Sing Sei, and I certainly didn't think that Innua would get swallowed by that ... that thing! That it would attack the Avatar!"

"We don't believe you," Hakoda said roughly, his hands visibly shaking with rage. "You could have stepped forward at any time. You could have refused Innua's orders, you could have helped us when Tonrar attacked Aang, but you did none of that. You are completely complicit to her actions."

"I-" Kanto paused again, shaking his head as he looked down at the ground. "I can't argue with that," he said quietly. "I could have done so much more. And that's why I'm here now. I realised the huge mistake I made in thinking I could stop her. You don't understand how much control she has, over my tribe, over my Chief, over me."

"And how exactly do you think you can help us?" Zuko asked, eyes still narrowed, unmoved by the man's speech.

"I'm here to warn you," Kanto replied, looking up. "The Northern Tribe is coming. Hanh may have already returned to the Tribe by now to amass an army. He will tell Arnook that it was you, the Firelord, that killed Innua, when she came to give you aid. He'll tell him that the Avatar has been killed in the storm, after all Hanh probably believes the Avatar is dead, and that the world is once again lost. He'll convince Arnook to send our army here, to the Fire Nation, to avenge Innua's death and stop the next war before it begins." He shook his head, as if begging them to believe him. "But Hanh doesn't know that the Avatar is alive! And he won't know that you'll be expecting him."

For a moment, Zuko just looked at Kanto, his brow furrowed, not wanting to believe the words of the man that had kidnapped and tortured one of his friends, that had helped Innua bring Tonrar back into their world, and had allowed Aang to be so badly hurt. But, his words had still been powerful, heart felt. His eyes flicked up to Toph.

"Toph?"

As surprised as she was to be feeling it, she felt nothing but honesty from the man stood in front of the Firelord. "He's telling the truth." Kanto looked back over his shoulder to her, brow raised in surprise, having clearly not heard of Toph's ability to tell whether a person was lying or not.

"All I want to do now is help," Kanto urged, pulling his gaze from her. "I know I've made mistakes, but please believe me when I tell you I don't want Hanh or Innua to succeed any more than you do."

Zuko shared a glance with Mamoru, who had stayed silence through the entire conversation. Despite Toph's assurance, she was no more inclined to trust the man standing by her. Zuko took a deep breath, and nodded his head once.

"Even though you're telling the truth, you can understand that in present circumstances we can't let you walk free about the Palace. Regardless of your intentions, or what Innua had promised, you still kidnapped and hurt one of our own, and you'll still be punished for that. For now you will be placed in one of our cells, until I have decided on the best way to deal with you."

Kanto opened his mouth to protest, but the General had already grabbed his arm, pulling him roughly to the side. Toph felt her drag Kanto past the fire-lit pillars and out of the room, and as soon as the door shut behind them she turned back to Zuko.

"He was telling the truth," she said pointedly. "Maybe we could have used him?"

"I know, I know," Zuko sighed, raising his hands and extinguishing the columns of fire let across the balcony with some relief. "But right now we have enough to be dealing with without having someone watch him every moment of every day. And there has to be some sort of justice for what he did to Katara. She's one of us."

Hakoda grunted in agreement, still glaring coldly after the man. "If what he said about Hanh is right, we could be facing a far greater force than we first thought. If Arnook believes him about you having Innua executed ..."

"Noted," Zuko said, rubbing his face and looking exhausted. "By some miracle I hope Aang stops this bloody storm in the next couple days."

"Don't we all?" Toph muttered.


	6. Avatar Sansetsu

In a rough yet beautiful courtyard, at the entrance of a strange city in the middle of a sweltering desert, there was suddenly complete silence. It seemed even the wind has paused, a fat bunting no longer calling, all that remained was a tension so thick it could be sliced with a knife. Somehow, in this beautiful courtyard in a strange city in a world inhabited by spirits three humans stood, eyes locked and doubtful, surprise on the faces of two, and irritation on the face of the third. One of the surprised party stood slightly forward, in front of the woman beside him, yet clearly torn between excitement and guard.

"Avatar Sansetsu?" Aang ventured, unsure. The third man, with a bright blue arrow tattooed across his forehead, dropped elegantly from his perch atop the archway, his orange robes fluttering in the breeze.

"Oh good," the man said as he landed. "I was honestly starting to worry you were a little slow."

Aang blinked, "uh ..."

"Ah shit," the man sighed, shaking his head and crossing large muscular arms across his chest. He wore a sleeveless tunic that crossed low down his muscled torso, a long sash hanging from his waist to his calves and adorned with blue filigree. Up close, the man was not bald, instead his hair shaved half way back across his scalp, with a long black braid hanging down his back, and his hairless chin raised high as he looked Aang up and down, his nose crinkled.

"What's with the water tribe get up?" he asked, ignoring Katara's gaping mouth as she looked between the two Avatar's. Aang blinked again, looking down at his blue tunic and grey leggings.

"Uh ..."

"Never mind. I mean, at least you've kept up with the ancient airbender tradition of revealing your tattoo. Oh! Wait, would you look at that!" He pointed to Aang's head, who quickly reached a hand up to his mop of hair. Feeling decidedly attacked, Aang glanced across at Katara, who looked back at him puzzled.

"You're Avatar Sansetsu?" Aang demanded, still pulling at his hair. The man flashed them a wide grin that had an uncanny resemblance to Aang's own trademark toothy smile, before putting his fists on his hips.

"What gave it away?" he asked.

"You're Avatar Sansetsu," Aang repeated, unable to hide the disappointment from his voice.

"You're the Avatar that was sent to help Aang find Tonrar?" Katara cut in, her own apprehension made abundantly clear.

"Well, it certainly looks that way, don't it?" Sansetsu replied, an appreciative smirk playing across his features as he appraised Katara for the first time.

"But why you?" Aang asked, bristling at the way the man eyed Katara. "Why not Kyoshi, Kuruk ..?"

"Oh don't you worry they're watching you too," Sansetsu replied. "There's a whooole bunch of us truly horrified at how you've been handling the whole Tonrar-cum-Koh situation."

Aang felt his heart drop.

"Nope, they'd rather send a specialist in to deal with this mess, so I was sent to meet you in the spirit world to show you how you can use the Avatar spirit to find Tonrar and take him down. Granted, I was only expecting you," Sansetsu added, before grinning at Katara, "but I suppose I can't begrudge something nice to look at."

Katara's upper lip curled, giving Sansetsu a look that would have made any smarter man turn tail and hide, but the Avatar just laughed, raising his palms.

"Alright, alright, no harm meant." He rolled his shoulders, looking up at the sky above them, humming slightly as if in response to something that they couldn't see. "Well, for reasons that were, and remain, completely not relevant to you, I am the one who was chosen to guide you through this journey, and equip yourself with the skills needed to take Tonrar down."

 _The spirits are punishing you_ , that voice so like his but not seemed to mutter, and for once he was inclined to agree with it.

"Which means you've got two, count 'em two choices," Sansetsu continued. "You can either accept me as your teacher and guide and do everything I tell you to, or we all die a horrific death. Chose wisely!"

"That's not exactly a choice," Aang replied.

"Lesson number one," Sansetsu responded, "there is _always_ a choice. Just because each of the options are a shit as the last doesn't mean that it isn't a choice."

Aang glanced sideways to Katara, who shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

"Ok. Avatar Sansetsu I accept you as my teacher."

"Good!" The past Avatar cast yet another glance up at the sky, which suddenly seemed to have grown darker in the time they had been speaking. "There are a great many things that we need to discuss, and that you need to learn about the spirit world before you're remotely ready to face Tonrar a second- wait, third? Forth?- either way, before you are ready to face him without getting your ass kicked again, but all of that will have to wait for a few hours. Until then, there's this important piece of information I should share with you. For the most part this city is a haven in the spirit world, a place where your lady friend in particular can stay without feeling the effects of the spirit worlds too badly. But, just like everything in the spirit world, there are cons."

"What cons?" Katara asked, looking up at the sky too.

"When the sky goes dark, you go inside," Sansetsu replied, his voice firm. "No if's, no but's, you find the nearest building, you close the doors and windows, and you stay there until you hear the birds start to sing again."

"Why?" Aang asked, on edge.

"You want me to be honest?" Sansetsu replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeh, that'd be great," Aang said dryly.

"Because anyone in this city outside after dark, anyone who even looks out of their windows, who does not possess a spirit of their own, will become trapped in a state between life and death until the end of time," Sansetsu answered with a shrug. "Some call it limbo, though I personally can't imagine a greater hell than that."

Aang looked over at Katara, his heart pounding.

"I think we might have been better out there with the worm," Katara muttered.

"Quickly now, I can call for you when it's safe. Until then, Avatar Aang and lady friend, sleep tight and don't let the spirits bite." Aang and Katara watched as Avatar Sansetsu simply vanished before their very eyes, before looking nervously up at the sky, which was starting to look like a pulsing, purple weight above them.

"Come on," Aang said, reaching out and taking her hand, "guess we better find somewhere to set up camp." He looked about, before spotting the a small hut close to them, equipped with a strong door and wooden blinds in the windows. The pair hurried over, Aang pushing the door open and taking a quick peak inside, before allowing Katara to enter, shutting the door behind them.

Inside they found themselves looking at what appeared to have been half an effort of a nice home, perhaps abandoned long before the owners had had a chance to fully fill it and make it their own. A single stone furnace stood in the corner of the small L-shaped room, with stone work surfaces surrounding it like a small kitchen. On the side of the room furthest from the furnace lay a wooden ladder that led to the floor above, with the sturdy beamed ceiling leaving a stark contrast to the pale stoned walls. Near the ladder were a neatly folded, though decidedly dusty and moth eaten selection of old furs, though the markings were nothing that either of them recognised; deep red, with fine black stripes and spots throughout. Tentatively the pair stepped into the room, investigating what was obviously the living space, and Aang stepped over to double check that the wooden blinds were shut tight, allowing none of the outside world to be visible through the cracks. He heard a soft creek and looked back to see Katara, having dropped her pack on the floor, climbing up onto the first two rungs of the ladder.

"Katara!" he said quickly, hurrying forward. "Lemme go first."

Raising an eyebrow, she looked back at him. "Well, if you really insist."

Quickly Aang scaled the ladder, peaking into the floor above. The blinds were shut tight here too, and the room was entirely empty minus a small bed in the corner, pillows and blankets lying across a padded mat across the ground. He pulled himself up into the room, before waving his arm down and indicating that Katara could follow. Around the corner of this room, above the small kitchen, there was a door. A quick peak from Aang confirmed that it was just a bathroom, the house seeming to be clear.

"Making sure there aren't any scary bog monsters?" Katara asked, smirking at him. Aang, completely serious, shook his head.

"Katara you can never be too careful! This is the spirit world, bog monsters are entirely possible!" Katara just rolled her eyes, looking across at the blinds. It was getting darker now, and it was making it difficult to make out much in the growing darkness.

"Let's bring the bed down," Aang suggested, "that way we can make use of the furnace." Katara nodded, and together they grabbed the blankets and mat, dropping them down to the floor below.

It didn't take Aang long to set up a thriving fire in the furnace, and the pair sat on the bed eating the last morsels of their food, which in itself consisted of crumbled biscuits that had fallen to the bottom of their packs. Despite the warmth of the furnace it was still growing shockingly cold as it got darker, and Katara had laid the furs beneath them to help keep warm. Gratefully they sat against each other, trying to stay warm.

"So," Katara said at length, picking at the crumbs on her lap.

"So," Aang repeated, already having lost interest in eating and looking over at her.

"Your past life ... he's, uh, a character, right?"

Ordinarily the pair would have found this amusing, a good joke, but the present state of urgency they found themselves in left it as no laughing matter.

"I don't like him," Aang replied immediately. Katara smiled wryly.

"Aang ... he's one of your past lives, I'm sure he's ok once we've gotten a chance to know him."

"I refuse to accept that I was ever so much of a tool in my past life," Aang grumbled. "And the way he keeps looking at you ... I'm not sure he's even really an airbender!"

"Right, I've never had an airbender letch over me before," Katara scoffed.

"I don't letch!"

"The fact is," Katara continued, pressing her point, "the other Avatar's decided to send Avatar Sansetsu for a reason. You think Kyoshi would have allowed it if he couldn't help you? She had no problem dropping a man off a cliff, you remember."

Aang sighed. "But you remember his name was crossed out of the census? That can't just be because of his attitude ... he'd have had to have done something really bad to deserve that."

"Or maybe he just didn't agree with their customs and beliefs?" Katara offered, before getting an odd look from Aang. "It happens in every culture."

"I suppose," Aang said. "I guess you're right, he might not be so bad once we've had a chance to talk to him."

"I'm always right," Katara said sweetly, pecking a kiss on his cheek.

"I still don't like him, though," Aang muttered, and Katara laughed.

"Yeh, me neither. But you've always been a quick learner, so let's hope that whatever he has to teach you you'll pick up quick enough that we don't have to deal with him for long."

"I hope so."

Katara sat herself up, reaching over to grab her hip flask filled with pond water that she had taken off not long previous. "Do you want me to take a look at your leg?"

Dismissively, Aang reached a hand down to his hip. In truth it was giving him a great deal of trouble, and having been forced to jump and avoid the sand worm spirit at the gates of the city had seemed to undone all of the efforts Katara had put into her healing just a few hours previous. He had kept ahead of the angry spirit, but only just, his agility and his speed, perhaps his two greats assets, had been affected much more than he had first thought.

"Yes please," he said at length.

"Ok, boil the water for me, we'll have to strain it."

Together they made a strain from some of the old cloth from their blankets, and after boiling and cooling the water they were left with a clearish looking saucepan full. Aang sat back down on the bed, untying his sash and raising his hip, and Katara let out a sharp intake of breath when she saw his leg and hip. Even in the low glow from the furnace, the network of veins and the painful bruising looking much worse than just a few hours ago.

"Aang, this isn't good ..." she muttered, bending the water from the pan. "You have to rest, for a few days at least, or your leg is never going to get a chance to heal."

"I don't exactly have time for that," Aang replied grimly, shutting his eyes as the first wave of pain washed over him before sighing as the cooling glow of the water eased. "I have to end this before the year is out, that's what the spirit said, and the summers solstice has already been and gone."

"Sweetie, I understand that. Believe me. But you if you don't give your leg a chance to heal you are going to be useless against Tonrar." Aang shot her a reproachful look. "Don't look at me like that, it's true. You couldn't stand against him when you were at full health, how do you think it's going to go down if you face him like this?"

"I'll figure it out," Aang said. "You all thought I'd have to kill Ozai, remember?" He reached forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry."

Katara shook her head. "No, I do need to worry! If you haven't got an infection I'll eat my flask. I have to worry ..." she sighed dejectedly. "I worry about you all the time. I watched Tonrar almost kill you ... I can't go through that again."

Aang's heart dropped, and he reached forward, running a thumb across her cheek.

"You won't have to," he said firmly, his voice soft as he looked into her dancing blue eyes. "I'll rest, ok? I'll talk to Sansetsu when the darkness outside passes, maybe we can delay the training a couple of days, and I'll work this out." He smiled at her. "Avatar's promise."

She looked into his eyes a moment longer, searching his expression for doubt until she found no sign, and nodded, raising her hand to cover his.

"Ok. And I'll start seeing what sort of herbs are growing in the city, you're going to need medicine." Aang nodded his agreement.

"Come on," he whispered, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "We're both exhausted, let's just get some sleep and it'll all make more sense in the morning."

She nodded, and the pair settled down on the furs, Aang throwing the blankets over them. Katara snuggled up to his side whilst Aang lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the pain in his hip. I'll find a way. I have to. _I'll find a way._

 _Flashes of bright white lightning broke up the otherwise deathly, cool darkness of the sky above, a pulsing miasma of deep purples and reds. The thunder cracked and the wind howled, and here Aang stood, his bare bloody feet on the cold hard stone beneath him, the tattered remains of his clothing getting caught up in the swirling red mist, leaving his body peppered with the fine red droplets. His chest heaved, mouth open as he panted heavily, arms hanging limp at his sides._

 _"I keep telling you this is how things are going to end!" a voice cried out. "No matter what you do, no matter how you try and fight me, this is how everyone will die. Everyone you know, everyone you love, their lives end here."_

 _Aang stared out at the terrifying landscape before him, before he raised his shaking palms out in front of him, looking in horror at the blood that trailed down his forearm._

 _"Do you even know who's blood that is?" came the voice again, cold and threatening. Suddenly the air was filled with the sound of laughter, and Aang threw his head up. Eyes were wide as he searched for the voice, searched for the demon that had promised to slaughter him._

 _"If I don't kill her," it then whispered, "you will."_

With a gasp Aang opened his eyes, chest heaving as the blood soaked vision swam in front of his eyes for a moment longer. He panted, trying to catch his breath, closing his eyes and pressing his palms against the sockets, waiting for his heart beat to slow and the shaking to stop. After about a minute he opened his eyes, blinking back the blobs of light and colour that still danced across his vision. Not for the first time he found himself missing the old familiar nightmare, the one where it was just him and Koh, the ones that didn't involve Katara. _Katara_. He looked sharply to his left, and saw that at some point during the night she had curled up, her face part buried in her pillow with her hair draped across the rest. He rolled into his side so that he could lie and look at her and the way her soft hair fluttered with each breath.

He lay there watching her for some time before he became aware of the light filtering through the slivers of space between the wood of the blinds and, as Sansetsu had promised, the bird song fluttered through the air. He was loathe to wake her, not when she looked so peaceful, but he needed to start his training and he couldn't leave her here all alone. He leaned up onto his right arm, pushing the hair back from her face.

"Katara?" She stirred. "Sweetie, time to wake up." She nodded, yawning widely before sitting herself up and stretching. _At least one of us slept well,_ he mused affectionately.

After each of them had washed up, using what was left from the strained pond water, they made their way down to the courtyard where they had first seen Avatar Sansetsu. Aang had cautiously opened the door at first, not forgetting the warning that Sansetsu had given them the night before, but aside from the chubby birds flying between the branches of the fruit trees it was silent, and they stepped out into the warm sun.

No sooner had they stepped onto the marble stone paving of the courtyard the heard Sansetsu's droll voice from behind them.

"Right, let's get to it."

The past Avatar dropped to the ground behind them, rolling up invisible sleeves before pushing his way past them to the center of the courtyard.

"Good morning to you, too," Katara muttered, and Aang nudged her with a smirk.

"Hey, Avatar Sansetsu," Aang called, as they both walked up to meet him, "I need to talk to you about something first."

He had not forgotten his promise to Katara the night before, and even after a relatively comfortable nights sleep the pain in his hip was impossible for him to ignore, pulsing and hot.

"And what might that be?" Sansetsu hummed, sitting cross legged on the floor, just in front of the fountain, and gesturing that Aang do the same. Aang, however, stayed standing.

"I was injured," he began, somewhat hesitantly, "fighting Tonrar. Look, I'm as eager to get started on the training as you are but I need to rest for a couple of days, all this walking and fighting worms has only made it worse."

Sansetsu looked up sharply, his eyes drifting to Aang's leg. "You're still standing, it can't be that bad."

"I didn't realise you were a doctor," Katara scoffed loudly, though she seemed surprised by her own outburst, clamping her hand over her mouth and glancing back at Aang. "Sorry ..."

"No, you're right, I am not," Sansetsu replied, eyes narrowing at her. "Alright then, let's see the damage."

Aang, justifiably not at all keen and pulling down his trousers out in the middle of a city whilst a stranger stared at his leg, looked to Katara. She shrugged sympathetically, and with a grumble Aang pulled his shirt up, pulling down the waist band of his trousers over his bad hip. He didn't need to show the entire wound, the bruising and swelling was entirely visible above his hip bone. Sansetsu pulled a face.

"Spirits, that's ugly," he said, lip curled in distaste. "Alright, well lucky you we're not going to be doing anything physical today, so how's about that?" He held out a hand gesturing for Aang to sit down with him again. Disgruntled, Aang did as he was asked, and Katara made to join them before Sansetsu held up a hand.

"Uh uh, not you."

"What, I can't sit down now?" Katara demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Are you an Avatar?" Sansetsu asked curtly. Katara, seeing where this was going, sighed.

"No, I'm not an Avatar."

"Well, see this is the Avatar circle," Sansetsu replied, raising his arms to demonstrate. "Avatar's allowed only. Go sit over there." Glaring Katara turned on her heel and walked several paces back. "Bit further," the past Avatar said, waving the back of his hand to her. Katara practically stomped back to the edge of the courtyard, before turning back and yelling.

"Is this far enough?"

"Peachy!" Sansetsu turned back to face Aang, eyebrows raised. "Sheesh, kid, I don't envy you one bit."

"I can't still hear you!"

"She'd kick your butt," Aang said, matter-of-fact, resting his arms on his knees.

"Well, that remains to be seen," Sansetsu replied, clapping his hands together. "Right, well may as well get right down to it. As you already know, I am here to guide you on your most recent of quests, to find and to beat the ray of sunshine that is Tonrar, who you are already more than familiar with." He grinned a wide cold grin at Aang, a sight somewhat unsettling. "Now, how many times has Tonrar kicked your ass now?"

Aang blinked.

"Uh ..."

"Airball park figure. Once ... twice ...?"

"Three," Aang correctly glumly. "I beat him once."

"Oh, good, that's good."

"It is?" Aang said cautiously.

"No, it's terrible!" Sansetsu scolded. "Look, we all get at least one big bad to deal with in each of our cycles, but the idea is that you deal with them, not let them get the better of you three damn times."

"What was yours?" Aang asked, curious.

"It's none of your business," Sansetsu replied smartly, "and of no relevance to you. What is, however, is how this time Tonrar is going to go down, and stay down."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Aang asked, irritated. "I've tried taking his ability to control other spirits, don't know if you noticed that. I tried containing him back at the South Pole, I've tried talking to him, what exactly am I supposed to do to stop him?"

Sansetsu frowned, cocking his head. "You're kidding, right? You kill him." Aang's eyes widened.

"No, I'm not going to do that."

Sansetsu mouthed in disbelief for a moment, his left eye twitching, before he took a deep angry breath. "You really need to me to give you a choice between killing Tonrar or letting everyone else die, because I will."

"But you're an airbender!" Aang cried. "You should know that all life is sacred, that spirits are part of the bala-"

"No, chump, I'm an _Avatar_ ," Sansetsu interrupted, his upper lip curling. "And so are you. And do you know that that means? It means what you want don't matter shit. You don't get to let the world end just because you don't want to get your hands dirty!"

"It's not about what I want!" Aang protested hotly. "It's about me not having the right to take away Tonrar's life!" Sansetsu glared at him, his face a picture of disgust.

"You know what, kid? It's no wonder you haven't been able to beat Tonrar yet. And some day soon you are going to get a very hard lesson in reality, because all those nightmares you've been having? Well, they're going to come true, and it's not just going to be her blood-" he pointed violently towards Katara "-that's on your hands."

Aang felt his heart pounding, his hands curling into fists as Sansetsu's words washed over him, memories of the nightmare from last night flashing in his vision.

"And how many lives have you had to take?" Aang snarled, his rage soaring in his chest, the voice like his but not quite threatening to speak for him.

"Just one," Sansetsu replied, his voice cool and hateful. "And you may choose not to accept it now, but there will come a time when you realise that you're going to have to end Tonrar's life, one way or another."

"I'll find another way," Aang muttered, keeping his cool grey eyes fixed onto Sansetsu's, his dislike of the past Avatar only growing after his admission.

"What the shit did I sign myself up for?" Sansetsu growled, looking away before taking a deep breath as if to steady himself. "Well, whilst you get over that bloated ego of yours and accept how you are going to have to end this, let's get on with the training."

"What do I need to do?" Aang asked, his voice still unsteady.

"I'm glad you've finally asked," Sansetsu scoffed, entwining the fingers of both his hands and dropping them onto his lap. "I'm sure you want to get started on the good stuff, but I've got to reach my wise Avatar quota for the day so I'm going to explain a few things to you first." He sniffed loudly, grinding his jaw. "For starts, I like to call this a brief history of said spirit you're going to kill." Aang instinctively exchanged a look with Katara, sat several meters away, who shared a small frown of frustration. Sansetsu looked between the pair, eyes narrowed, though chose not to comment. "As you already know, Tonrar is an old spirit. Not as old as Koh, oh no, but old enough to know a great deal about the spirit world, and to have a fair deal of control over it. You see, Tonrar was born as any other spirit is born into this world, but he was given just one purpose ... to trap the souls of those humans who unwisely chose to take a trip into the spirit world after our two worlds were split. A purpose the Avatar chose for him, no less," Sansetsu added, pointedly. "But, see, the more humans he trapped the more power he gained, and soon he was able to imprison, not only the souls of humans, but control the spirits that shared their bodies."

"I know all this," Aang interrupted tersely. "The reason Tonrar can control me is because of the Avatar spirit." The old Avatar seemed to grimace.

"There's more to it than that, smart ass," he replied. "Whilst Tonrar was able to control the spirits seeking refuge in the body of humans, there's a pretty big leap between controlling the grunts and controlling the Avatar spirit. The Avatar spirit is ancient, and as you've no doubt experienced, it is powerful. There are very few Avatar's, if any, that have been able to unlock the full power of the Avatar spirit and the Avatar State. It's more than just a connection between all of our past lives, it's about sharing the knowledge, the strength, the shared memories and the spirituality of the spirit that lives within us." At this, Sansetsu flashed Aang an angry look. "Tonrar should not be capable of possessing the Avatar spirit, it should be well out of his league. And yet ..." he paused, leaning in and piercing Aang with a hard glare. "He could whilst the Avatar spirit resides in you."

Aang's ears began to ring at this, the words hitting him with a force he was not prepared for. His heart rate quickened, as he found himself torn between anger and shame.

"Tonrar remained silent for a long time, and yet somehow he realised he had his chance with you as the Avatar ... that through you the Avatar spirit was weak and vulnerable."

"Stop it," Katara demanded suddenly, sensing the anger and grief in the angle of Aang's shoulders, but Sansetsu ignored her.

"And if that isn't bad enough, being able to posses the Avatar spirit, through you, has only made him that much more powerful." The blood began to rush to Aang's head. "With the help of his half-breed daughter he was able to possess perhaps one of the oldest, most untouchable of spirits that has ever lived."

"That's enough!" Katara insisted, jumping to her feet.

"Koh."

Aang shut his eyes tight. He could feel his anger and guilt swirling together as a wave of sickness washed over him.

"Tonrar was able to do all of this because the connection you have with the Avatar spirit wasn't strong enough to fight him off," Sansetsu continued, his contempt for the boy before him all too clear. "All because you failed to reach spiritual enlightenment, because you let your emotions rule your every action. And why? Because of her." Sansetsu pointed towards Katara once more, who stood with wide eyes, confusion and anger etched across her beautiful features. Aang looked back at her, his brow furrowed as he fought back his anger.

"But, see ... this is where you are in luck." Aang's eyes locked back into Sansetsu, whose voice had calmed, and who shook his head bitterly.

"How?" Aang asked, his voice shaky and uneven.

"Because I can show you how to gain control of the Avatar spirit yet again," Sansetsu replied. "Because believe it or not we're not so different. I know what it's like to lose control, and I can show you how to put that bitch of a spirit we're burdened with back in it's place."

Aang could only shake his head. He knew too well what it felt like to be burdened with the responsibility of being the Avatar, what it was like to told that you were the Avatar when all you had wanted was a simple life. But the contempt and anger that Sansetsu had towards the Avatar spirit was not something that he could understand. He knew of anger, he even knew of hate, but he had never aimed it at the Avatar spirit. He glanced back at Katara, and saw she was looking at Sansetsu with a peculiar kind of fear in her eyes and he realised that she felt, just as he did, that Sansetsu may be insane.

"Your second lesson is simple," the airbender continued, perhaps oblivious, or perhaps choosing to be of Aang and Katara's shared thoughts, "you need to stop hiding from the Avatar State. Stop hiding from what is your greatest source of power, perhaps the greatest source of power in both our worlds, and to stop fearing it beyond any sense of reason. Respect it, respect that power, but understand that it was given to you for you to control."

Still somewhat reeling from Sansetsu's attack, Aang struggled to verbalise any of his thoughts. The way Sansetsu spoke of the Avatar State reminded him of something long forgotten.

"Before I can teach you anything further," he said, getting to his feet and indicating that Aang do the same, "I need to know how much control you have over the Avatar State." Now feeling more cautious than angry, Aang also climbed to his feet. "So, I need you to go into the Avatar State."

Aang nearly fell back to the ground again at these words. Dumbfounded, memories flashed in his head, watching as if in third person as his body started to take control when he turned on his friends in the South Pole, as he crushed a man in rock, and as he made love to Katara.

"No," he said, firmly, shaking his head. "I can't go into the Avatar State." Sansetsu scowled.

"You can, and you will," he said, his voice low and threatening.

"Sansetsu drop it, he says he can't do it," came Katara's order, as she began to walk towards them now. Sansetsu scoffed.

"So, you let your woman fight all your battles for you?" He sneered. "What, you can't do anything without mummy's say-so?"

Aang felt the anger stirring again. "Sansetsu-"

"No, no, I get it," the Avatar continued with a shrug. "I mean, if I were getting some of that I probably wouldn't argue with her either."

"Don't you dare talk about Katara that way," Aang growled.

"Aang, he's just trying to bait you!"

"Well, you best get getting whilst the getting's good," Sansetsu continued, throwing his hands into the air. "I mean, she'll be dead soon anyway."

Aang's blood began to boil as he drew himself up to his full height, taking a step towards Sansetsu.

"I know what you're doing," he breathed, glaring up at Sansetsu who stood a full head higher than him, his voice low enough that Katara could not hear, "and it's not going to work." A peculiar smile came to Sansetsu's face.

"Huh, you really have got that thing buried deep," he said. "But I suppose with all that's happened you'd be stupid not to. Well, then, plan number two."

Before Aang could react, Sansetsu reached forwards, pressing his thumb against the point of Aang's arrow, his second hand pressing against his chest, and it was instant. The world fell away around of him, and the little control Aang had over his emotions, and the cage that he had built around the spirit inside of him collapsed, and all he felt was rage. The sky began to turn red, a deep rumbling was felt within the earth, and the air began to rush around them, picking up their robes and hair. Aang's eyes and tattoo's started to glow, his face morphing from that of the kind and gentle monk he was to a twisted picture of pure agony and rage. Slowly he rose from the ground, Sansetsu stepping hurriedly back as the wind whipped sand into his face, a whirlwind twisting around Aang's legs. Katara, holding her arm before her face, watched in horror as Aang raised his arms, and it sounded as though the very air around them had begun to scream.

"Aang!" she yelled, running forward, but he could no longer hear her. Inside of his rage and pain he felt relief, the spirit inside of him euphoric as she broke free, and with raised arms he felt into the very essence of the world around him, seeking more of that power she craved, his gaze only loosely set upon the calm expression of the past Avatar still stood before him. Then, a red mist began to fill the air as the trees closest to him started to degrade, their life force rushing towards him and joining the hurricane of elements that were thickly surrounding him. Katara cried out as a bush to her left swiftly broke down, her eyes then drawn suddenly to her hair that battered against her face. Horror set in then as she saw the tips of her hair starting to break free, disintegrating just like the foliage around her. But then, Sansetsu moved forward, reaching out the palm of his hand pressing it against Aang's chest. At once, Aang felt the spirit inside him screech and fight, any relief he had felt with letting go swiftly fading as he was left with just his own pain. His hands dropped to his sides, and though he knew he must be gaining control he felt only weak. The glowing stopped, the sky turned blue once more, and the howling winds died down. Aang fell to the ground, his right leg wobbling and giving way beneath him. He knew what had happened, he had felt all of it, every second, the power and the rage and the realisation that he had no control over it, that it had felt good to let the Avatar spirit take the reigns. And then the mist ... that horrible red mist ... He sat on the ground, propped up by his right arm, panting heavily and shaking uncontrollably. He felt rough hands grab his jaw, turning his head sharply and painful upwards so that he was once more eye to eye with Sansetsu.

"Do you get it yet?" he asked, his voice heavy with emotion, between that of anger and heartbreak. Sansetsu pulled him down, and Aang fell forward onto his knees, palms down on the ground. Sansetsu had done this to him, had broken the wall he had fought to build inside of himself, had made his nightmares reality to him. He heard Katara calling him, sobbing, whilst his gaze slowly turned upwards to the damage he had caused, to the destroyed flower bed were lay, head and shoulders missing, the dead body of a fat bird.


	7. The Prisoners

"Aang! AANG!"

The courtyard she stood in bore witness to just a fraction of the atrocities that the Avatar spirit was capable of, to the raw power and ability to destroy held deep within the man that she loved. Katara had watched as Aang fell to the ground, had watched as Avatar Sansetsu grabbed his face, before stepping back and turning on his heel. And now, even as she hurried across the courtyard towards him she saw the horrifying realisation of what he had done spread across Aang's face, she saw him first look at Sansetsu as if he meant to attack the man, and she prepared herself to stop him. She skid to his side, just as Aang climbed to his feet, his expression now that of agony as he looked across at her and she realised, with a stabbing pain to the heart, that he was not going to attack, but run.

"Aang, Aang no wait-"

He didn't even let her hands make contact with his arm before he fled, leaping onto the nearest archway and using that to propel himself forward.

"Aang wait!"

She ran after him, trying to keep him in sight as he jumped from building to building, but try as she might there was no way she could keep up with an airbender that didn't want to be caught, no matter how injured that airbender might be. As he vanished from sight she stopped, panting heavily and pressing her palm against a wall to steady herself.

"Dammit, Aang," She said, with a dry sob. Bitterly she looked up to the skyline of the buildings to her left, before remembering with complete and utter clarity the night she had found him a bathtub, numb and shaking, convinced of the blood that was on his hands. For the first time, she understood. Truly understood what it was she had been missing ... it wasn't just Aang's fear of failing that driven him away from her, from his friends ... No, it was the fear that he would be the cause of it all, fear of what Tonrar had truly done to him, the damage he had taken, and the fundamental truth that, Aang or no, he was still capable of killing and destroying everything around him. And now, with Sansetsu's help, Aang had seen that truth come to fruition; had realised that it was no longer that he was just capable, but that it was probable. Her heart broke for him, and though no tears reached her eyes, she felt as though her throat was closing, the obnoxiously white stone of the tall buildings and walls closing in around her. Aang. Her poor Aang ... Her breath quickened as she began to panic, her back sliding down the walls as her hands shook, her whimpers turning into howls as she finally let her own walls crash down, letting the pain and fear she had been hiding for so long overcome her.

"Aang," she gasped, shaking her head. "AANG!" She screamed, pounding her fists on the stone floor, before she slumped back against the wall, panting as the tears finally came.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, half hoping that Aang would come back, and half hoping that he was already far away. How could she help him when he felt this much pain? How could she help him when she knew how terrified he was to be around her, putting her at risk? How could she help him when Sansetsu had shown him to be some sort of monster? _Sansetsu_. At that thought, her body stiffened, her mind sharpening. Sansetsu ... the Avatar send to help Aang had only driven him away, frightened. Once more her breathing began to quicken, although this time her blood boiled and her hands curled into fists. Ignoring the way her hair stuck to her tear-soaked skin she stood, eyes blazing, storming her way back to the courtyard.

"Sansetsu?" Her voice low and threatening, the water in the fountain turning to ice, Katara stepped back onto the cool stone, still covered in specks of fine red dust, much of the greenery around it destroyed and damaged.

"Ah, is this the point where you come and tell me what a horrible person I am?" came Sansetsu's voice, leaning languidly against his favoured arch. She wasted no time with rounding on him, stalking forwards until they were almost face to face, her lips curled into a snarl.

"What is wrong with you?" she spat. "Why did you do that to him?"

Sansetsu frowned, his stormy eyes, much darker than Aang's, locking with her. "I believe I gave him some cold, hard facts."

"You're supposed to help him!" Katara cried. "You're supposed to guide him! You think he doesn't already know what he's capable of in the Avatar State? You think he hasn't seen it night after night after night? He told you no, he told you he wasn't going to go into the Avatar State, why did you force him?"

"There's a difference between knowing what you are capable of, and really truly knowing what you are capable of," Sansetsu replied, his voice low and level. "That is a lesson that, one day, every Avatar must learn, and one that Aang was long overdue."

"You're wrong," Katara could only shake her, taking a step back. "You don't get it do you? This will destroy him. Aang isn't like you, he's not like any of the other Avatar's. He doesn't want that power, and he damn well doesn't want to use it." At this, the old Avatar's eyes flashed.

"Do not assume that every other Avatar wanted this, either," he all but spat. Katara laughed.

"You're no different from Tonrar. No different from so many of the others that wanted to use Aang's power for their own gain, have you forgotten what it's like to be the Avatar?"

Sansetsu's expression darkened, and his breath seemed to catch in his throat. She saw a flicker of something beneath his expression, but before she could say any more, he looked up at the sky.

"It looks like today is going to be a short one. You should get inside, little girl."

Katara all but snarled, wanting nothing more than to hit his stupid face with one of her water whips. "I swear to Yue, if he can't come back from this, Avatar or no I am going to make you pay for it." But Sansetsu had already disappeared from view, his form vanishing into the low hazy air, leaving her glaring at the marble archway, still misted in red.

"Coward," she hissed. Bitterly she looked up at the sky, seeing it starting to pulse darkly, before casting another desperate search of the skyline, hoping to see Aang. Sansetsu had said that it was only those without spirit who couldn't be out after dark, but regardless she wondered if at this point he had enough of it. Sighing she turned and made her way back to the little house that she and Aang had chosen, shutting the door firmly behind her and collapsing onto the bed.

***

"Aang!" He heard her scream, agonised and distraught, and if possible his heart shattered into even smaller pieces. The moment he had seen her, seen the look on her face, he had had to get away. To just run, run and run and run until he could not feel any more, until he could stop imagining the horror show that had taken place back in the courtyard. Yet, at the sound of her cries he had skidded to a halt, panting and looking back over his shoulder. She needed him, and spirits knew he needed her too, but he was not ready. Not just yet.

He dropped to his knees where he had stopped, on top of a green tiled roof of what appeared to be a large town house. Beautiful flowers still grew in the front garden of the long abandoned building, ivy and morning glory creeping up the walls and spilling out onto the pavement, so calm in contrast to the ragged breaths he was taking as he sat there. He'd known, part of him perhaps always known, why his dreams started with him exhausted, with him hurting to bad, with that red mist swirling around him and blood coating his arms. It was ridiculous to assume that he hadn't considered what this part of his dream meant, but bitterly he had pushed it aside, more so since Tonrar had fled to the spirit world and left his own to die. Now, though, he was forced to accept that his role in it's death was not done, that he could actually still become a part of the destruction of not one but both worlds.

His hands shook as he remembered the incredible amount of power that had spread through his body, feeling every single atom of every single being around him. He could feel the trees screaming as, with clawed hands, he had wrenched them apart. He could sense the range of his destruction stretching out across and beyond the courtyard until he had felt Katara. He had felt everyone about her ... the beating of her heart, the air in her lungs, the blood pumping through her veins, her panic. He had been able to feel her very soul, alone inside of her without a spirit for protection, and his own willed to pull her apart piece by tiny piece. He shut his eyes tight, curling into a ball and gritting his teeth as the ghost of those feelings left him aching. How could he be capable of such destruction? Forget being the Avatar, how could he ever contain that much power? If this is what the Avatar spirit was like when you lost control why had he been chosen? He was weak. He was powerless against her, and even how he felt her there, hunkered down and waiting for her next chance to strike.

He opened his eyes, looking numbly out at the city before him. Sansetsu, in all of his harshness, had been right. He was too weak to be the Avatar, and he had no idea what he could do about it ... his instincts told him to run, to leave Katara far behind so he could not hurt her. But then what? If he faced Tonrar then surely it would all be over, and the spirit would take control again. But if he hid here, in the spirit world, if he never went back to the mortal world, then it would surely be destroyed.

"I can't do it," he whimpered. "I can't do this, I can't, I can't ..."

The realisation hit him like a brick. He couldn't do this. Why hadn't the Avatar spirit chosen someone else? Why was she full of so much anger?

Broken he lay there, his eyes not really seeing what lay in front of him, his body indifferent the pain of the roof tiles digging into his skin, and it wasn't until the sky began to darken that he stirred, looking up with sore, red eyes. His thoughts turned, like a knife to the gut, to Katara. She couldn't be out here when it got dark, what if she didn't realise as she carried on looking for him? What if she got lost? He climbed to his feet, wobbling unsteadily on his bruised and battered leg, and gingerly made his way across the roofs back to the courtyard, his eyes peeled for her. But the time he landed poorly on a roof overlooking the courtyard the darkness had grown deeper, and he couldn't hide the panic that came with knowing that Katara could still be out there. He was on the verge of yelling out her name when he finally saw her, casting one last look out towards the city just as he duck down low enough so that his silhouette wouldn't show up against the dull glowing sky, watching as she shut herself away in the building that they had held out in last night. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least, for now, she was safe.

He rolled onto his back, looking up at the purple sky. He couldn't run ... there was no way he could leave her here, it wasn't safe. But how was he supposed to spend another moment in her presence when he had done what he had, now that he knew the line between control and utter abandon to the Avatar spirit was so fine? The sky lost the last of it's colour, the purple giving way to inky black, and he breathed out heavily. Instead of darkness, however, he became aware of a glow that seemed to emanate directly from the city itself and, frowning and distracted for a moment, he rolled back onto his front.

Despite all the horrors that he had already seen and felt that day, there was still no chance the he could have been prepared for what he saw as he looked back towards the courtyard. If he had had the energy he may have cried out, but he simply gaped, a sick feeling in his stomach as he watched hundreds of people, eyes dead, bodies limp, and skin glowing as they wandered aimlessly around the courtyard.

"What is this?" Aang managed, hoarsely.

"I kinda hoped you wouldn't see this so soon."

Aang jumped, looking sharply to his left to see Sansetsu, staring in-curiously out at the courtyard, standing on the roof. His immediate desire was to jump at his predecessor, to demand an explanation as for why he had forced him into the Avatar State against his will, causing him to almost hurt Katara, but his curiosity about the blank people below him won out his anger.

"Who are these people?" Aang asked, his voice low. With a heavy sigh Sansetsu sat down, crossing his legs and continuing his sad vigil.

"If you think about it," he replied, "you probably already known who they are. Well, rather you know why they are here."

"I don't understand ..."

"There are a number of reasons why I had you come to this city, of all places," Sansetsu continued. "Believe it or not the spirit infested forest and the desert weren't a test, or me messing with you, it was simply the path you needed to take to get here. That it would be safe, for the most part, for that woman of yours made it a logical first choice, but there was more to it than that." Sansetsu glanced over at him, and Aang stared intently back. "The city was, once, home to a growing population of humans. People who had crossed over from the mortal world and decided that they would call his place their own and build a city from the rich white stone that formed in this region."

"People l _ived_ here?" Aang asked, incredulously. "People lived in the spirit world?"

"Yeh, for a time," Sansetsu replied. "I suppose they lived pretty well given the size of this damn place." He cast a derisive look behind them, at the larger tower in the center of the walled city. "But good things aren't mean to last ... the spirits grew less and less tolerant of their human neighbours until not even the benders of this city could keep them out, and a great battle took place." For a moment, Sansetsu's face turned grim. "Though it was never really a battle. It was a slaughter. The spirit that led the attack was ruthless and determined, and they cut through the city, killing every man, woman, and child that lived here."

Breathless Aang looked back at those blank, glowing faces.

"But killing them wasn't enough for this spirit ... the unfortunate thing about dying in the spirit world is that your soul remains here. And there is one such spirit that is very good at dealing with human souls ..."

"Tonrar," Aang breathed. Sansetsu nodded.

"He trapped the souls of hundreds in the city, and in turn the place became a sort of honeypot. Any human that should enter the spirit world would inevitably find their way here. After all, it's a home, right? What soul can ignore the call of a safe place in an alien world? For thousands of years Tonrar has continued to trap the foolish man who thinks the spirit world is a place for him, who defies the boundaries set by Avatar and spirit millennia ago. What you see here is only a fraction of the souls caught in Tonrar's web. The city is dotted with similar courtyards such as this, and each time the sky goes dark you can see them."

"Can't we set them free?" Aang demanded at once. "Surely as the Avatar I can do something!" Sansetsu uttered a dark laugh.

"Be my guest," he said, with a shrug. "But you should know that I have spent over a thousand years trying."

For the first time Aang saw Sansetsu in a different light, the sadness in the man's eyes abundantly clear.

"Why?" Aang asked. "Why is this so important to you?" Surprised Sansetsu glanced back down at him, before quickly regaining his composure and raising his chin.

"That, chump, is a tale for another time," he said shortly.

Frowning Aang looked away, his eyes drawn yet again to the glowing faces.

"You know, your girlfriend really wasn't happy with how I handled things earlier," Sansetsu piped up, that familiar drawl coming back into place. "She was furious in fact."

"I can't really say I was chuffed to bits about it either," Aang replied darkly. "I'd be amazed if she was anything but ..."

"You know, she actually threatened me?" Sansetsu chuckled, and Aang swiftly felt any warmth he had had towards the man swiftly cooling.

"That sounds about right," Aang responded dryly, eyes narrowed. Sansetsu remained silent for a while, his legs swinging over the edge of the roof, wide jaw tipped up as if in contemplation.

"You do know why I pushed you into the Avatar State, right?"

"Truthfully no," Aang replied coldly. "Although if you wanted to prove that I'm too weak to push it back, or that the next time I go into the Avatar State I could destroy everything, or that I should have left Katara back in the mortal world, or that I have no chance of beating Tonrar then job well done!" He threw his hands into the air before crossing them angrily across his chest, glaring darkly at the glow below them. Sansetsu scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Wow, that girl really wasn't joking," he said coolly, his upper lip curled as he looked down at Aang. "So, what, you get a good look at the reality of the situation and you just run away like a child? I mean, fuck me with a glider, do you have any backbone at all?" His turn to be disgusted, Aang threw him a cautious look. "Whether you chose to face Tonrar or not, in the state you're in right now the world is going to end. Either Tonrar forces you into the Avatar State and you do his job for him, or you leave Tonrar to skulk and hide away whilst your world slowly pulls itself apart." He leaned in close, his face close to Aang's. "Do you need for me to explain how your friends will die? How they will either freeze to death or the creeping darkness will catch up to them and work it's way inside of them and-"

"Ok, stop," Aang snapped, covering his ears. "I don't need to hear that! I know how it's going to end, ok?"

"Then why are you being such a coward?" Sansetsu demanded. "If you know then why do you keep whinging and crying and complaining about how hard it is before doing what needs to be done?"

"Because I'm scared!" Aang yelled, rounding on Sansetsu, his heart thumping in his chest as his desperation made itself clear across his face. "I'm scared of failing, I'm scared of losing Katara ..." he swallowed, a shadow passed across his face. "I'm scared of Tonrar, to face him again."

The large airbender regarded him in a stony silence, his face cold and his jaw set. "Well, that's just something you're going to have to accept, and then get over," he said bluntly. "Your fear is your biggest enemy, and Tonrar's greatest strength. It is the reason you have no control, and until you learn to overcome it, to turn that fear into a driving force behind beating Tonrar, you are never going to." Suddenly Sansetsu's hand reached out, grabbing Aang's chin and forcing the young man to look at him. "Remember that feeling in your veins as you tore the world apart," he growled. "And remember it well. Because if you don't then you will be the end of us all." Shaking Aang looked back at him, suddenly too weak to fight against his grasp.

"I don't want to remember it," he whispered, voice shaking. "I don't want to feel that ever again."

"Then fucking fight." Sansetsu's eyes blazed, before roughly he pushed Aang away from him, disappearing into the night air before Aang could pull himself up from the tiles.

His heart still racing, and in spite of himself, his gaze was drawing to those poor lost, wandering souls. Perhaps they hoped for an end to their torment, yet never quite reached it. Perhaps that was why they walked ceaselessly night after night. Aang sighed, angry tears stinging his eyes. Sansetsu was right. For these souls ... for Katara, for his friends, for the rest of the world, he had to fight. No matter how much of himself he lost along the way he had to fight. Still shaking he climbed to his feet, his thoughts now completely on Katara, on holding her, on calling upon her strength to help him through this. With little grace, his right hip still causing him grief, Aang dropped down onto the courtyard, watching in sad wonder as the souls moved aside for him, avoided touching him, all the while never looking in his direction. Sadly he waded his way through, trying not to look into any of those lifeless eyes until he reached the door of the house he and Katara had shared. He took a deep breath, willing for his hands to stop shaking, and then opened to door quickly, sliding into the room so that there was no way Katara could chance a glance outside.

"Aang?"

Her voice was tired, broken and sad, and he immediately felt the tears well up. "Katara ..." At the sounds of his desperate plea she jumped up from the furs, her body illuminated lightly by the small fire in the furnace, and before he was even aware of his movement he had stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her hear as he began to sob freely. She gripped him back, her hands knotting into his hair and pulling him as close as she could.

"It's ok," she whispered gently. Aang pulled his face away from her neck, taking her face in his hands, his gaze on her hers showing a determination she had no seen in a long time.

"I will fix this," he promised, his voice hoarse but strong. He leaned in for a kiss, pressing his lips against hers, the fire between them burning as her tongue ran across his pleadingly, their bodies as close together as it was possible for them to be. "I swear I will fix this."

"I know," she said back to him, her voice firm. "I know, and I am going to help you."

Gratefully he fell back into her embrace, and slowly the pair made their way to the bed, Aang wrapping his arms protectively around her as they fell into an exhausted sleep.

 _If I don't kill her ... you will._

Aang woke with a gasp, his body sitting up and his head dropping down to his palms as he groaned, fighting back the fog of his nightmares. As time based, he started to realise there was an unfamiliar sensation across his limbs, as if his muscles still hummed and buzzed with the power that had coursed through him the day before, and shaking he raised his hand to his forehead. If he had hoped that his subconscious would let up now that his conscious mind knew of the warning his dream state had been giving him he would be sorely disappointed. The nightmare continued, somehow more fervent and aggressive than before. Taking a long uneven breath he lay back down, his head turning to face the beautiful waterbender that lay beside him. In true Katara fashion she lay on her back, one arm stretched up above her whilst the the other rest on her stomach, her face tilted to the sound, mouth wide, and snoring lightly. Despite the shakiness in his body, his affection and love for her swelled in his chest, and he was able to smile. Even after showing her exactly what kind of damage he was capable of here she lay, sleeping with pure abandon, not the least bit intimidated by the man who lay at her side. And if she, after all that had been revealed to her, could still trust him then perhaps he could still have trust in himself.

He leaned forward, intent on kissing her forehead and waking her, but he paused, taking in her carefree and easy expression. It couldn't hurt to let her have a lie in. Quietly he climbed to his feet, pulling on the sleeveless blue tunic and reaching for his trousers. He looked down at his leg before pulling them on, and was disappointed to find that the red vein of infection had spread down past his knees and, pulling back his top, up past his naval. Yet, in spite of how bad the wound looked, he didn't feel nearly as much pain as he had done and, figuring perhaps this was a good sign and not wanting to disturb Katara, he covered the signs with his clothing. He could get a healing session later. He cast one final glance back at her sleeping form before slipping out the door.

Seeing all the destruction he had caused in the fresh new light of day hit him like a punch to the gut, and he reeled at the red mist that still stained the white marble walls and broken stumps that remained of the trees he'd destroyed. The wandering, trapped souls visible under the purple sky were no longer there to see, but s shiver ran down his spine as he found himself wondering whether they were still there, still lost, just invisible until night name. Taking a deep breath, he walked forward, his bare feet making contact with the first stone of the circular courtyard, looking around for any sign of the past Avatar. As his eyes scoped the scene, they fell upon a small, brightly coloured mass of feathers, and his heart sunk. Being raised a vegetarian, he had never even eaten an animal, let alone killed one, and the guilt and sorrow he felt came with a wave of sickness that left him feeling light headed. He walked forward, sad eyes looking down at the poor body of the the bird that had been caught in the Avatar's destruction. Quietly he scanned a soil bed upon which the flowers still grew, life that had been fortunate to survive his reach, and carefully he scooped up and carried what remained of the bird over. Dropping to his knees, placing the body beside him, he began to dig a small hole with his hands.

"What are you doing?"

He started, looking back over his shoulder to see Sansetsu, lounging on the edge of the fountain and frowning at him.

"I'm burying it," Aang responded, before turning back to his work.

"No, I mean, why aren't you bending the soil?"

Aang chose not to answer, instead picking up the bird and placing it in it's grave, gently filling in the hole on top of it. He closed his eyes, uttering quietly to himself with his palm pressed against the small mound, before standing and looking back at the old Avatar.

"Some things you have to do with your hands, I guess," he said quietly, before brushing the soil from his palms. The past Avatar eyes him curiously for a moment, before shrugging.

"I thought about what you said," Aang continued, looking back at the Avatar. "Last night, about avoiding the reality of it all, about needing to fight ..." Sansetsu raised his brow in interest, and Aang took a deep breath. "I've decided I'm going to fight him. Tonrar. And get control of the Avatar State back."

"Good," Sansetsu said with a nod. Emboldened, Aang continued.

"But I have one condition, Sansetsu."

"You do, do you?"

"If you're going to have me go back into the Avatar State, then Katara can't be anywhere near me when it happens. She needs to stay safe. You got that?"

A small smirk came to Sansetsu's face, but he nodded. "Done. Anything else?"

"No."

The past Avatar clapped his hands together, standing from his position against the fountain. "I think that's the smartest thing I've heard you say yet."

Aang couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes, but he was not expecting Sansetsu to have changed overnight.

"So, how do we start?" he asked, stepping forward to meet Sansetsu in the center of the courtyard. The past Avatar looked up him and down, his harrying gaze lingering on Aang's bare arms before turning his focus back to his face.

"Do you remember your airbender training?" Aang nodded. "At the very beginning we are taught the importance of having a strong, solid core, both in a mental and physical sense. Mentally, let's be honest, you're all over the damn place. And physically? You look like a light breeze could knock your feet out from beneath you." Aang frowned. "Until you work on regaining your strong core, your bending will be sloppy, unreliable, and weak, and whilst you haven't proper control over your bending there is no way you will be ready to attempt going into the Avatar State again."

"So, you want me to start from scratch?" Aang asked, incredulously.

"Yes," Sansetsu replied shortly. "When was the last time you practiced your bending?" Aang hesitated.

"Well, I haven't practiced for practice sake for a long time," he answered honestly, rubbing the back of head head. "But, I mean, I've used it ..."

"Congratulations," Sansetsu deadpanned, his wide jaw clenching irritably. "Then, yes, I want you to start from scratch." Aang held back a sigh. "As I'm sure you remember from your airbender training, a good mental core is far more valuable a base than a strong physical one, though neither should be ignored. But no matter how powerful your body is, if you don't have the mental discipline or aptitude then that power is wasted or, as we've seen, dangerous."

"Yeh, I remember."

"Then your first task is a simple one," Sansetsu replied. "I want you to meditate, each time the sun comes back after sky turns dark."

"Ok ..."

"Sun and darkness is unpredictable here. There was once a time where, consistently, there'd be twelve hours of sun followed by twelve hours of darkness, but since the worlds began to shift and distort, time here isn't really the same as it was. Sometimes you'll get twenty-four hours of sun, other times you'll get twenty-four minutes. But regardless of how little or how long a time you have to wait, I want you to meditate each and every time the sun comes up."

"For how long?" Aang asked.

"For as long as it takes you," the large airbender replied, his voice once again tipped with irritation. "Until you can consistently go into a meditative state at will I'm not helping you any further."

"Right, and what if that takes too long?"

"Then the world ends, chump." Sansetsu looked up at the sky, the sun still burning bright overheard. "So you best get cracking. Oh, and one more thing?"

Aang looked back at him.

"Shave that thing, will you?" he said, gesturing to Aang's mop of hair. "You're an airbender, aren't you?"

Aang's hand rose to his head distractedly, before Sansetsu once more disappeared from view.


	8. Dungeon and Discord

The night was late, and the dull silver moon, somehow so much larger than it had ever been in the past, was just visible in the sky through the continuing flurry of snow that pound down onto the Fire Nation. The temperature, already low, had dropped to a biting freeze in the last few weeks, and with food supplies dwindling the citizens were finding it more and more difficult to stay warm. For the Firelord himself, and his group of companions, hope was starting to fade, the coming battle with the Northern Water Tribe was one of the few things that fueled them.

The group were on edge, understandably so, none less so than the Firelord himself who was responsible for keeping his people alive and their questions answered, all the while trying to make sure his family was warm and safe. Ursa and Ikem were both remarkably resourceful, and helped all that they could, but Kiyi was struggling more than they had anticipated with the storm. At first, it had been exciting for her, after all snow was a rare treat in both the Earth and Fire Nation's, but then the adults around her started to grow more stressed, started to show her less attention, and she found herself with no idea what exactly was going on. Though she was much warmer towards her mother than she had been in the last year since Ursa had regained her face and memories, she still did not run to her for comfort. Instead she ran to Zuko, and Zuko hadn't the time to spend on his little sister as he once had, a fact that upset him greatly. But it wasn't just his family and his people that worried the Firelord. Though it had been almost a year since he had done so, the memories of exiling Mai and her mother and brother still haunted him, and he would wake up gasping and sweating in the middle of the night as he imagined them, lost somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, freezing and starving to death. Mai was a smart woman, and resourceful, he knew that much, but he still feared for her.

Another member of the group that seemed more preoccupied than the others, particularly in the last two weeks, was none other than the usually unmoved Toph Beifong. Sleep had become a thing of the past for her. It had never been like her to be so consumed with worry and questions that she could not sleep, but the circumstances surrounding the last few weeks had left her disturbed and uneasy. She alone could feel just how the earth below them had begun to shift, the movement ever so slight, but significant enough for her to worry what else, beside the snow storms, was headed their way as the spirit world gradually pushed theirs into oblivion. She had spent more of her time than many of the others contemplating the journey that her two friends were taking in the world parallel to theirs, less concerned with the coming war with the North and more with what was happening beneath their feet. She knew, whether they won the battle or not, their future still very much depended on Aang's ability to fulfill his duties in the spirit world.

 _"Aang was hurt. Badly."_

Hakoda's words upon his arrival to the Fire Capital swam lengths around her head night after night, no matter how much she tried to put them aside. She wasn't stupid, she knew that their lives now depended upon Aang, but if he was injured ... He couldn't face Tonrar when he was at his full health, so how could they feel assured that the would fair any better this time? These thoughts plagued her this late night, with the silver moon shimmering above her, as quietly she made her way down the dark corridors of the Fire Palace. Though she had acknowledged Zuko's request that their prisoner be left alone to his thoughts until they knew what better to do with him, she could no longer ignore the fact that he could prove a valuable source of information to them if they just tried and trusted that Kanto of the Northern Water Tribe was really there to help them. With calculated precision, feeling the presence of three guards towards to exit to the Palace, Toph bent a hole in one of the external walls of the Palace just large enough for her to slink though, shutting it tight behind her and pressing herself back against the wall as the snow outside quickly found her. Kanto knew much more about Innua, and knowing more about Innua could give them some insight into exactly what General Hanh planned and, she hoped, what was going on in the spirit world. She bent the metal soles of her boots back underneath her feet and, head ducked down, she lightly dropped down the snowy bank, making her way along the once stone walkway that led to the capital dungeons.

It was close to a forty minute hike towards the very outskirts of the capital to find the location of the prison, but when she finally arrived it was easy enough for her to slip by the guards, who were struggling to see much of anything through the storm. She didn't like the cold, but she had sure liked the secrecy that the storm had offered her ... she could still see when so many others were blinded, and that suited her and her ego just fine. She created another Toph-sized hole in the base of the dark stone building, finding herself standing on one of the lower corridors of the dungeon. She had never visited this place before, she'd had no reason to, but as she stood in the cold, dark, and lonely corridor she found herself wishing she had at least had a peak at some point previous; at least then she may have had an idea of where she was going. She sensed no one close to her, as she pulled the metal soles back, and with a resigned sigh she slammed her foot onto the ground, her body feeling the vibrations of the rock and metal of the place, and she was able to content herself with a vague understanding of the layout. On the top floors there were a number of people in rooms packed closely together, people who had caused trouble during the storms, with several guards keeping watch. Deeper into the prison, however, were two much larger rooms, with a metal cell in each, keeping two lone figures trapped within them. It was easy enough to guess who these people were. Azula was still imprisoned in the hospital, and that left just two people that would be such high priority. With one last check to see for guards, she bent a hole in the ground, dropping firmly onto the floor below.

"Now," she muttered to herself, "which of these chumps are you?"

Despite the apparent importance of the two prisoners, there was no guard stationed directly outside of their doors, which came much to Toph's relief. Two guards stood at the main entrance to the chamber, and staying silent she had no problem alluding them. She smirked to herself, stopping outside of the first door in the large chamber, and placing her hands on the cold metal surface.

At first it was difficult for her to really make out who resided inside of this particular cell, but from the feel of the body lying on the stone floor she fancied that he was not as large as the person she was searching for. A weird feeling stirred in her stomach as she remembered a time when the man within was their greatest of threats. Yet Firelord Ozai had felt like a bit of a chump compared to Tonrar, and despite being on the run the entire time, the year spent trying to take him down was still the best of her life. With a nostalgic sigh, she pulled her hand from Ozai's door, walking down to the next in line. With ease the bent the metal locks of the door, which clicked into place quietly, before she opened it wide. Without hesitation she slipped inside, knocking the door closed behind her with her feet.

"Who's there?"

A familiar confused, and somewhat tired voice floated to her ears and she grinned. She'd found him alright.

"Is it dark in there?" she asked, with a shrug, walking forward to the barred cell within, "I hadn't noticed."

"You're the one who arrested me, aren't you?" Kanto asked. "The earthbender, Toph."

"The one and only." Toph sat cross legged on the ground, just out of the reach of the cell, facing the prisoner. He shifted, pulling himself closer to the bars.

"What are you doing here? Come to question me at last?"

Toph cocked her head to the side, her palms pressed flat on the stone appraising the man before her. There was only so much she could tell in this way, but she knew that he was tall, perhaps Aang's height, but with a build bulkier than Sokka's, and he was incredibly nervous about her sitting before him.

"I suppose I have," Toph said at last. "There are some things I'm going to ask you. Things that you didn't get to say when you were speaking to the Firelord."

"What things?"

She felt Kanto's heart beat faster.

"You said, in your words, that Innua was a killer. I can't say I've been overly impressed with her actions so far, after all she tried to poison one of my friends and ended up poisoning another, but as far as I understand she's yet to kill anybody. So, why do you say that? Why are you scared of her?"

She could tell that Kanto was surprised by the question, and he audibly gulped, hesitating.

"Don't make me beat it out of you," Toph said lazily. Kanto leaned in.

"She ... Innua killed someone very important to me," he replied at last, his voice shaky. "And though I couldn't prove it, I know that she did. She made it look like an accident, like they had died in their sleep, but I know that she killed them."

Toph frowned. "Who?" she asked.

"I don't understand why you want to know-"

"Who?" Toph repeated, this time her voice firm. Kanto seemed ready to argue, but he breathed out a heavy sigh.

"Her mother," he replied a length. Toph raised her brow in surprise. "Innua murdered her own mother when she was still only fourteen years old ... It wasn't long after Avatar Aang and the two Southerners left after the battle with Admiral Zhao, and everyone was still so worked up with the passing of Arnook's only daughter and trying to fix the damage upon our city to think that the death of Innua's mother was anything sinister." Kanto sighed, shaking his head. "You see, most people thought that Kunika, her mother, was crazy. People weren't keen on her, or avoided her ... Perhaps it is not the same for your people, but having a child out of wedlock is considered a vulgar and disrespectful act in our tribe, and when she gave birth to Innua without a father present people began to gossip and say terrible things about her. But, she was a kind lady." Kanto's voice grew sad. "My own mother passed away when I was very young, and although my father warned me about her and tried to keep me away, she was always kind to me. Kunika was there to comfort me like a mother could ... So, whilst my father taught me how to fight, she taught me how to heal and how to make stuff with my hands."

"You're a waterbender?" Toph asked, surprised.

"Oh no, not me," Kanto replied. "She taught me practical methods, how to dress wounds, what herbs to give, how to create antidotes and remedies." She felt Kanto's heart begin to pound in his chest. "My father was not a nice man, not after mother died," he said quietly. "So I had plenty of wounds of my own to practice on."

Toph felt a stab of sympathy in her gut, and she frowned. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Kanto continued with a light shrug. "It made me strong, you see, it made me into the man I am and I don't regret that."

"My parents would keep me locked away when I was young, before Aang found me," Toph said, unsure why she found herself sharing this with the strange water tribe man before her. "They hid me from the world, but it made me strong too." She felt Kanto regard her, and she hoped that it was dark in the room as she felt her cheeks grow warm with the intensity of his gaze. "So ... can I ask how Innua killed her?"

Kanto remained silent for a while, absently flicking the metal bars with his fingers, before answering. "Poison, I think. You see, I never liked Innua. She knew that but she didn't care, and she still hung around me as if I were her little brother, bossing me about and picking on me whenever she got the chance. Whenever Kunika was around though she would act like I was her best friend. I knew there was something wrong with her ... I could just feel it. Sometimes she would look at you and you'd swear she was staring straight through you, into your soul, and from the corner of your eye hers would seem to glow red and she would grin that horrible grin of hers. She scared me," he said honestly. "I knew she didn't love her mother, she didn't respect her either. Innua was a waterbender, and although her mother wanted her to learn how to heal and do what the Northern women usually do, Innua refused. And then I guess, one day, she saw her chance."

"What happened?"

"The Avatar happened," Kanto replied seriously. "He came and he stopped the Fire Nation fleet, but he couldn't stop Zhao from murdering the moon spirit. He couldn't stop Princess Yue from taking her place, the Chief's only child. When the battle was done, the Avatar and his companions left, and suddenly Arnook had no heir and we no future leader." Kanto fell silent for a moment, picking at the ground with his nails. "From a young age Innua could manipulate people, and she wasn't above using her own lack of a father figure and the lack of respect people had for her mother to gain sympathy from people, the Chief included. When Yue died, Chief Arnook was left heart broken, and so I believed she murdered her mother, using Arnook's weakened state and his already existing soft spot for her to worm her way into the fold. Arnook took her in as if she was his own."

"So, that's why Arnook brought her," Toph muttered.

"Yes. Using her status as Arnook's adopted daughter, and her talent when it came to waterbending, she convinced the waterbending masters to teach her, and she became the first Northern woman to become a master in living memory."

"She killed her mother so that she could learn waterbending?" Toph said in disbelief. "I mean, man, I knew she was cold but that's something else ..."

"I don't think she ever realised I knew the truth of what happened," Kanto continued. "I was the one who found Kunika, as if she was asleep, and I knew even then that no one would listen to me. But, I suppose it worked in my favour in the end."

Toph nodded, remaining in silence as she ran the thoughts back and forth through her mind. She could almost taste the tension in the air as Kanto watched her, uneasy with her continued presence.

"So, why did you follow her?" Toph asked, unable to hide her disgust. "She killed your surrogate mother and you follow her blindly after that?"

Kanto shook his head. "No, you don't get it at all. What was I supposed to do? I had nowhere and no one to turn to! I couldn't refuse what Innua asked of me any more than I could accuse her of murder, and I always felt that the closer I was to her, the more she let me in on her ideas and dreams, the better a chance I had of catching her out one day. I love my tribe, I could not leave it in her hands." Kanto seemed to pale, and he looked down at the ground. "But I had to do that anyway ... Innua might be dead, but Hanh is still alive."

"Innua isn't dead." She felt Kanto's heart hammer in his chest, as the man looked sharply up at her.

"What do you mean? How can she not be? That ... monster ate her face."

"Look, I don't know much about all this stuff," Toph replied, "I'm no Avatar. But Tonrar is her father, right?"

Kanto nodded, and seemed to shudder. "I still don't like to think about that part."

"Good, me neither. But the fact is Tonrar is her father, and he could control spirits and the Avatar State. Innua has proven pretty good at controlling people in her own way, too ... it seems like combined inside of Koh's body the two of them were able to overpower the spirit. Innua's still alive, in some way, but she's sharing Koh's body with Tonrar."

"But what can you do about something like that?" Kanto asked, his voice a little weak.

"That's not for us to worry about," Toph sighed heavily. "That's Aang's job."

"How can he have survived that attack?" Kanto asked, standing now and curling his hands around the bars of his cell. "He looked dead ..."

"Katara is a great healer," Toph replied, shortly, not wanting to think about the state that Aang had been in after losing again to Tonrar. "And a great bender. She and Aang will figure this out, we just need to focus on preventing this all out war between the North and Fire Nation from breaking out."

"At this stage I don't think there's anything we can do to prevent it ..."

"Then you need to decide which side you're on," Toph said shortly, getting to her feet as well now. "You say you want to help us, but when your country invades which side of their swords will you be standing at?"

Kanto was silent, and she could feel the turmoil of emotions within him. She could not blame the young man, after all in order to save his nation he was also going to need to betray it. She had seen it tear Zuko apart, once upon a time, and he was one of the strongest people she had ever known.

"Whichever side Hanh and Innua aren't," Kanto said at last, his voice shaky but determined. "If I need to kill Hanh myself, I will."

"Good," Toph said grimly. "Because it might well come down to that." She turned to leave the cell, content with the information she had gained, before Kanto threw his hand out from between the bars.

"Wait!" She paused. "I don't need to be in here, you know? I can help. I can help with Hanh. I can help with the storm ... I'm a pretty good healer, and I understand yours is in the spirit world."

"That's not for me to decide. But I'll speak to Zuko." She waved her hand over her shoulder in farewell, before heading towards the door once more.

"Hey!"

"You're testing my patience now ..."

"At least come and see me again," Kanto asked. Toph's brow rose as she she stood there, back turned to him.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because it's really dull in here," Kanto replied honestly, a hint of humour in his voice. "And I like talking to you."

"Yeh, I don't think so, Kanto of the Water Tribe," Toph muttered, though she could sense the weird elation in the man's heartbeat, imagining that he was grinning, and she pushed her way back out of the door in a stony silence, a flush coming to her cheeks.

It was close to an hour later that Toph was successfully able to make her way back to the Palace without being seen. Going downhill in the snow was easy enough, but uphill whilst trying to avoid detection from the guards was another matter entirely. Now panting from the effort, she pressed herself against the wall of the Palace once more, her palms against the surface of the stone as she bent another hole and made her way through. The gentle warmth coming from the fires lit along the corridor washed over her and she breathed a small sigh of relief. But, even as she stepped away, making to head back to her room, her heart sunk and she groaned inwardly as she felt the man walking up behind her.

"Oh, hey there, Sparky."

Zuko came up beside her, his confusion evident in the way that he held himself.

"What were you doing sneaking in and out of the Palace?" he asked. "You know you're free to use the front door." Toph hesitated, not sure whether she should tell Zuko the truth of keep him in the dark, but then whilst Sokka was so absorbed in his guilt at losing Katara, and Suki still recovering from her illness, she realised that perhaps the Firelord was the last person here that she could genuinely speak to with any transparency. She raised her hand, before gesturing that he follow, before sneaking into one of the empty rooms partway down the hallway. Zuko followed, both curious and apprehensive, before shutting the door behind him.

They stood in the in-house gallery, a long room dedicated to portraits of all the Firelord's past and their families. It was a room that Zuko tended not to visit, not needing any further reminders of his family history, and Toph could sense his discomfort at being led into the room. She crossed her arms over her chest, her head cocked in his direction.

"So, I went to see Kanto. The prisoner."

At first, the Firelord didn't answer. She could sense his bubbling rage at her statement, perhaps a mix of his anger that she had ignored his requests regarding the prisoner, and irritation at the very mention of his name. But Zuko had enough stress to be going on with without adding more anger to the pile, and he took a deep breath before finally replying.

"Why?"

"Why do you think, Zuko?" Toph replied, exasperated. "Because he can be useful to us! Because there was stuff he had not yet told us."

"I asked you not to," Zuko said, his voice tremulous.

"Well, guess what, Sparky, you're not _my_ Firelord. I'm Earth Kingdom if you've forgotten, and no one tells me what to do."

Zuko's face darkened, hands clenching momentarily into fists before he turned on his heel, ready to leave the room and not to tempt his already souring temper, but Toph quickly slammed her foot to the ground, the stone beneath him rising and swirling so that he faced her once more.

"Will you just listen?" Toph said, raising her hands in the air. "I asked him about Innua, about why he followed her. She's crazy, Zuko, more crazy than we thought, she killed her own mother when she was fourteen years old-"

"Why is this relevant, Toph?" Zuko asked, wearily holding his hand up to his head. "Innua isn't a problem for us anymore, she's either dead or in the spirit world."

"Because it proves we can trust Kanto. Innua's mother was like a surrogate for him, and she killed her, the only reason he followed her was so he could be sure she didn't harm his tribe any more. He's a trained healer, and a warrior, we could use him."

"And just why is this so important to you? I don't care if he's the best warrior in the world, he still kidnapped Katara, held her at knife point, we don't need him."

"In case you've not noticed our list of allies has grown pretty slim over the last months. Four of our most capable fighters are either in the spirit world, recovering from having almost died, or are in exile!" She felt Zuko instantly stiffen, his breathing stop, and internally she winced.

"The Northern man stays in the dungeon," he said, coldly. "And unless you fancy joining a traitor in exile I suggest that you do not mention him again."

Toph's brow rose, this time letting the Firelord leave the room, slamming the door hard behind him, leaving her to wonder if perhaps she was the only level headed person left in the entire of the Fire Nation.

 **A/N: A late Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year, readers.  
So, it's been a little while since the previous update, though rest assured I am doing my best to get chapters out as soon as I am able, and the next is almost complete. In regards to a few previous reviews, there sure seems to be mixed opinions on our newest character, Avatar Sansetsu! Some love him, others not so much ... personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed writing his invariably flawed personality, and creating an Avatar that wasn't all together a kind person was certainly interesting for me. We will learn more of Sansetsu's back story in the chapters to come, which will help to explain his mannerisms a little more, but don't expect a tale of redemption when it comes to Sansetsu ...  
Until next time! Kuaishu.**


	9. Calls from the Swamp

The spirit world was a land as varied and colourful as even the brightest places in the mortal world. There were great valleys filled with glistening streams and luscious plant life, emerald green fields dotted with pink and blue flowers, tall canopies of jungle trees that dripped with fruit and sap. It was as if the saturation of every living thing had been upped, like staring through a prism and seeing a world richer than any human could have dreamed of. But for every warm valley there was a cold, rocky chasm. For every bright field a lifeless desert, and for every bountiful jungle there was a swamp that devoured life. And it was through one such swamp that a creature trundled, breathing and panting roughly, with dried dark blood splattered across it's entire carapace. The creature was not unknown by any of the spirits that called this world home, those that saw it coming hid in the vines or buried themselves in the green sludge of the swamp. There was every reason to fear this creature, as sick as it looked, and not least of all was the face that it bore, red eyes alight with both rage and fear.

Although he had fought well after first taking control of Koh's body, Tonrar had struggled with the lumbering weight of it not long after he had finally re-entered the spirit world. The spirit's body, already rotting and dying from living outside of it's home in the spirit world for too long, had been badly injured by the waterbender that had surprised him, that spiteful child that had prevented him from finally, after a millennia of oppression, killing the Avatar. Koh's body, as broken as it was, still healed quicker than any mortal one, and though he was certain the damage was deep, Tonrar had felt the wound knit together in a matter of days. Koh, if he was to ever break free of his confines, would never be the same spirit that he had been.

Yet, in spite of his injuries, Tonrar was well aware of the very real threat of Koh regaining control of his body once more, of pushing his own soul back into that dark, suffocating chasm he had been a prisoner in for so long, that Koh was now a prisoner of. He could feel the spirit there, and it was splitting his head apart ... no longer was he alone in his mind, but the whispering, screaming, and crying off all those souls that Koh had imprisoned inside of himself were there too. And it wasn't just Koh that invaded his thoughts, another voice had called for him the moment he had returned into the spirit world, and that voice impacted him in another way.

At first, she had just called his name, her voice a question, a question of triumph over uncertainty. He had not asked for her to sacrifice her soul in this way for him, he had never asked it, but he had known that it was what she would do. He had lay in his prison, exhausted from his struggles to escape since Koh had devoured him, when he had felt the Avatar Spirit near. He had felt her, as clearly as if he was in his own body again, and he had risen, clawing at the blackness that surrounded him, rage filling his heart, until he felt something else. Something familiar, comforting. It was then that his daughter had come to him, her soul previously so far grew close, her power radiating to his outstretched fingers as a rush of power overcame him. Finally, with eyes he was able to see. The bright white of the South Pole a painful contrast to the darkness he had been living in, and there had stood the Avatar. The Avatar who had once more evaded him.

Her voice had not pleaded, not at first. Even as he fled through the spirit world he had held tight to her face-less body. But her calls went unanswered. Soon, she grew angry, screaming and yelling from the back of his mind to be let free, and he had grit his teeth, trying to ignore the noise, to ignore the burning in his chest. Before long, her anger became despair, and his resolve began to weaken.

 _"Daddy? Daddy, please. Please don't leave me in this place. I helped, didn't I? Why are you punishing me? Daddy, please, I'm scared."_

The night her screams turned to fear he had been unable to travel, curling his filthy, damaged body into a cave on the outskirts of the swamp. His heart ached, and he looked down at the body he held in his talons, Innua's face-less and soulless vessel and for the first time in his memory, he began to weep. He could not free his daughter, he could not risk Koh taking control and trapping both of them for eternity within himself. No, neither of them could be free of this rotting husk until he finally found his own. That night, as his daughter pleaded for help, and his heart ached, he cursed the Avatar. He cursed the spirit, and he cursed the boy with whom she shared her body.

Tonrar, for all his age and wisdom, had not prepared for any of the events that had taken place. He had not prepared to lose against Avatar Aang in the South Pole, to be pulled back in the spirit world by the spirits he himself had possessed, or to find himself face to face with the full extent of Koh's wrath. Yet, it seemed that he had taught his daughter well, for through her efforts he now found himself offered a second chance. His world was changing, he could feel it, he need only secure safety for his own kind, safety for his daughter and for himself as the destructive force of the Avatar's world sent ripples through his. The spirit world could survive this, of that he was confident, but the Avatar's would not.

Days turned to weeks as Tonrar traversed the spirit wilds, his stolen body now growing stronger the longer that it was back in the spirit world. This was both a blessing and a curse, for though he could move much faster, it would leave Koh much more capable of putting up a fight when the time finally came for him to leave this body. But if he played his cards right, if he waiting for just the right moment, it was possible that he could imprison Koh before he even had the chance and then ... his talons curled with delight, in his own body he could finally end the Avatar. He could feel her here, in this world, and though he had no hope of locating her in the weakened state he was in, he knew that it was only a matter of time before the boy tracked him down in an effort to save his world, and he would be ready for that. As he finally approached his destination, he felt relief at the familiar landscape, a grin spreading across his face revealing is sharp teeth, mirroring the jagged rocks in view ...

Thousands of miles away, the Avatar woke suddenly, his heart hammering and breathing hard, the images from his dream still burned into his eyes ... a large plateau, jagged teeth-like rocks, and a pair of familiar red eyes. He was momentarily filled with a sense of euphoria, filling his chest almost the the point of laughter, but it was quickly replaced with a newer, much less pleasant sensation ... his body felt weak, his head reeled, his joints ached and his leg ...

"Katara?" he mumbled, though the woman did not stir, his voice too quiet. His arms aching to do so, he pulled back the covers from his leg, just visible in the low crackling fire.

"Shit."

That woke her, Aang was not a man that swore, and if he did it was his own brand of cursing that would illicit derisive snorts from either Sokka or Toph who had no qualms about putting their own colourful language on display.

"Aang?" she muttered, rousing herself from sleep when she saw him sat up beside of her. "What's the matter?" But then she also saw his leg, the sweat beading across Aang's skin, and it was her turn to swear.

"Damn it, Aang, I told you to wake me up so I could take a look at it!"

It was true. After the day proved to be a long one, Aang dutifully sitting and meditating under Sansetsu's instruction, Katara had placed a hand on his shoulder to say that she was going to lie down and that he was to wake her before sleeping so that she could look at his leg. She had noticed Aang seeming paler than usual that day, and though the day had been warm the sweat beading at his forehead had not seemed right to her. But Aang, not wanting to wake her and feeling decidedly dejected after what had been mostly a day of failure, had simply lay down beside her and passed out into sleep. The result of missing one healing session, however, had pushed Aang's wound into a full on infection, and now his body ached as the poison ran through him, his leg inflamed and angry.

"Sorry," Aang sighed, rubbing his face furiously to try and clear the fog. "You just looked too peaceful-"

"Oh don't give me that bull," Katara snapped, climbing to her feet and grabbing the pale of water they had filled and left in the room near the fire. She also pulled a pouch from their supplies, which Aang eyed curiously. It seemed Katara had been busy whilst he had been attempting to meditate all day, and he saw her pull out a collection of herbs and plants.

"Where did you get all that?"

"I found it," she muttered back, holding each one to her nose and smelling. "There's a surprising amount of stuff to be found in this city, I'm not sure I've even scratched the surface of it. And don't look at me like that," she glowered, seeing Aang's open expression of disbelief, "I was careful, there's nothing else in this damn city anyway."

"You don't know that."

"Well, unless you know something that I don't then I've yet to see anything other than animals here."

Aang fell silent, his gaze flitting towards the blind-drawn window, thinking of the lost souls that no doubt wandered outside of them.

"Right, turn around."

Dutifully Aang turned on the mattress so that his leg was sitting off the edge, leaning back onto his hands with a grimace as the pain shot through his hips and now up to his shoulder. He could clearly see the angry red veins across his body, and to his utter despair the smell of infection seemed to drift from his leg.

"Damn it," Katara muttered again, bending the water onto one of her hands as she began to heal, before popping some of the bulbs and herbs into her mouth with the other and starting to chew. After a few moments she spat the chewed up matter into a cup, before filling it with a little warm water and mixing the solution together, all the while still healing with her other hand. Despite the fog and fever setting in on him, Aang could not help but be impressed at just how talented Katara had grown when it came to her healing, and just how efficient she could be. That was, until, she passed the cup of pre-chewed herbs and tepid water to him, and he wrinkled up his nose.

"Don't you dare think about complaining," she said shortly. "It's just a bit of spit, and it's the worst of your worries right now."

With a mild grumble, Aang downed the concoction in one, and aside from being lukewarm the taste of the herbs was surprisingly not as vile as he expected.

"That wasn't so bad," he said. "So, uh, what was it?"

"Garlic, clove, a few other things I found. I told you there was a lot of stuff to be found here."

Aang just nodded, as she then focused her entire attention onto his leg. He could see that the wound, over which his skin had originally knitted together thanks to Katara's efforts in the South Pole, was starting to open, and though he knew very little about medical matters he was certain that around the inside of the wound shouldn't be the colour that it was.

"This'll probably hurt," Katara said, as Aang braced himself. She let the water sink inside of the wound, and sure enough she wasn't kidding. Aang swore for a second time, his fists gripping the blankets and his face formed a grimace, fighting against the pain.

"Spirits, gah! Are you done yet?" he gasped, as Katara just shot him a look that clearly said _'if you had told me earlier it wouldn't have got this bad'_ , and he wisely chose not to say another word.

It was then that a heavy knock came to the door, and the pair looked up.

"Oi, pipsqueak, lights a'wasting, where the devil are you?"

Katara huffed irritably, turning her back to the door as she focused on Aang's leg again. Aang himself was too busy trying not to shout out in pain as she irrigated his wound to respond to the past Avatar.

"I swear you better be naked or dead because nothing else is gonna excuse this level of tardiness." Sansetsu hollered through the door, and Katara seemed to snap.

"Will you get lost for just a damn minute?" she yelled back. "I swear to the spirits I am so tired of dealing with Avatar's."

"You know I don't even need to use this door, don't you?" Sansetsu replied. Sure enough, in an instant Sansetsu appeared beside them, and Katara yelped out in surprise, causing Aang to shout out in turn as she yanked on his leg with her water. The past Avatar looked down at them, his upper lip curling with distaste as he eyed Aang's leg.

"Well, that don't look too nice."

Aang could only glare at him, sweat dripping down his forehead as he gripped his upper thigh with his hand, the pain spreading across his limb the only thing stopping him from bending the entire pale onto his head.

"Yep, and as you can see we're a bit busy," Katara responded, as she now pulled the water out from Aang's leg, placing the bloody water back into the pale.

But Sansetsu seemed to look on with interest, taking a seat against the wall of the building. "Well, don't let me interrupt."

Katara looked like she was going to argue, but with a snort she looked away, shaking her head as she now grabbed another cup and her pouch, pulling out and smelling herbs and bulbs again. Aang, in a world of discomfort with both the pain in his leg, the fever, and his teacher looking at his wound with such avid interest, shut his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing. Katara, began to combine herbs again, though this time she used a small stone to crush them rather than chew, and as she added some of the clean water from her flask the scent of garlic and something else filled the room. She proceeded to grind and mix the ingredients together to form a paste.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Sansetsu asked, his voice for once lacking in condescension.

"A little bit back home, a little on the road, and little from the Fire Nation healers," Katara responded. "Luckily I found an entire garden full of echinacea, there's not a lot that it can't be used for."

"Fascinating," Sansetsu murmured, leaning forward to look at the paste she had made. Aang opened one of his eyes, looking over at the man quizzically.

"Gonna hurt," Katara instructed to him, as she coated her fingers in the paste. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. Sure enough, the paste stung and burned against his skin, and he had to bite down on his sleeve to keep from yelling out again. But, as soon as she started, it was over, and with relief Aang breathed out, opening his eyes and looking down at this leg, the wound of which was now packed with the grey coloured paste.

"Thanks," he said, throwing Katara a grin, though he could tell just how stressed and disappointed she was in him for letting it get to this stage.

"That's fairly impressive," Sansetsu said approvingly.

"Thanks, I guess," Katara replied, washing her hands and placing the herbs back into the pouch. "But surely you've met healers before."

"Sure," Sansetsu shrugged, "but we're going back over a thousand years to my time. Back then, a wound like that-" he pointed to Aang's leg, "-meant you were a goner."

"That's encouraging, thanks," Aang growled as he tried to sit up straighter, grabbing the covers and pulling them back over part of himself.

"There were healers to be found among the waterbenders," Sansetsu continued, ignoring Aang. "I tried my hand at it a few times but apparently healing wasn't my calling, I was better at breaking shit."

Aang glanced sharply back over at the man. He had said it so simply, almost as if it could be a joke, but he could sense something change in Sansetsu, a darkness settling over his face again and his haughtiness returning.

"Right, well, as I said, day light is wasting." Sansetsu got to his feet, looking down at Aang. "And meditating is hardly a taxing job, don't think I'm letting you off today just because of that." He pointed to his leg again, and Aang sighed heavily. Katara, however, said nothing, instead busying herself with emptying the pale, disappearing through the front door, and sadly he watched her leave.

"Do you make a habit of not listening to people?" Sansetsu said, dragging Aang's attention away from the door. "I heard her yesterday, and I know you did, too. So, what, you're hoping this infection is going to kill you before Tonrar does?"

"Of course not," Aang muttered through grit teeth as he got to his feet with the aid of a sturdy stick Katara had found for him.

"I'm not sure you quite appreciate just how lucky it is that you have her around," Sansetsu continued, glaring at him. "So you might want to keep something in mind next time you decide to skip a healing session. It's not just your life that's a stake here. You do understand that, if you die here in this city, she'll go after Tonrar herself, right?"

Aang looked sharply across at him, and he realised with a sickening jolt to his stomach that Sansetsu was right. He had not considered, somehow, that if anything were to happen to him, if he could not go on, there'd be nothing to stop Katara from going on by herself. And she would do. He had seen the fire burning in her eyes as she had talked about Tonrar, he knew deep in his soul that she would not hesitate to kill Tonrar if the opportunity presented itself. He was less sure whether or not she would be up to the task ... were it any other human, he would say it was impossible. But Katara was not any human. Katara had a resolve that he had never seen before in anyone but her ... her belligerence, her determination, it was far greater than even Zuko's. But as tough as she was, Tonrar was a spirit, and in this world he would only be more powerful.

"So, you hadn't considered that?" Sansetsu replied for him, head tilted to the side. "Well, you're thinking about it now. I've got to be honest with you, pal, it's a shame you were cooped up in that iceburg for all those years, that you happen to be alive right now. Because if you had lived when you ought to, I am willing to bet my damn glider that the Avatar Spirit would have chosen her to be the next Avatar in the cycle. With the power of the Avatar she would have beaten Tonrar a long time ago."

And with that, Sansetsu disappeared, leaving Aang standing alone in the room, leaning heavily on his walking stick. The past Avatar was right about Katara's abilities, of course he was, but perhaps he was not expecting his words to come as a comfort to Aang. Maybe Katara would have made a better Avatar, he was not ashamed to admit that she was strong in ways that he could never rival, and it was why he loved her, but being the Avatar was not a gift. It was not something he would ever wish on anyone but himself ... perhaps in spending one hundred years trapped in ice he had instead spared Katara from this, from being the Avatar, from experiencing the struggle and the pain that came with such a responsibility. No, he had to face Tonrar. He had to be the Avatar. So that Katara would never need to. This was how he protected her.


	10. Coming from the Inside

Aang took a deep nasal breath, holding it for eight counts, before slowing breathing out through his mouth. He sat cross legged in his usual position on the courtyard, just in front of the fountain and facing the large archway that looked out over the dry, choking desert beyond. It was difficult to say just how long they had been in the marble city in the middle of nowhere, days and nights were unpredictable, but the slow healing progress on Aang's leg meant that it had to have at least been a few weeks. As Avatar Sansetsu had warned, day and night did not work as it did in the normal world, the shortest day they had experienced so far had been a mere forty-five minutes, but this was by far the longest that they had experienced. And it seemed the longer the sun stayed up in the sky the more intense the temperature of the place grew, and Aang sat with his bare back burning as he kept his eyes closed, hands resting lightly on his knees, trying to ignore the sensation. He had counted almost twenty days, if you could call them that, that he had been meditating for. Twenty days of trying to block out every single worry that he had and focus on his inner energy, before retiring as the sun went down. The truth was that his inner energy didn't feel anything like he remembered, what had previously been an action of peace, meditation had become a battle within himself. There was turmoil there, no doubt the Avatar spirit that he had long been at peace with now angry and raging and boiling below the surface, and it frightened him.

The first few days he had found meditation all but impossible, his mind too ablaze with worry to calm, the pain in his leg immense, but after what he presumed to have been a week in this world he finally managed to slip into a state that he was familiar with, the outside world quieting, his breathing eased, his mind seeming to become entirely separate from his body. And then he found it, the spirit inside of him, crouched down as if waiting for him to wander into it's prison. With a gasp his eyes had snapped open, his body jumping as if he had been falling. He could understand why Sansetsu wanted him to master his mediation once more, despite how much time it had felt like he was simply wasting at first. He was walking a fine wire between having control and losing himself once more to the rage of the spirit inside. He wondered if perhaps Sansetsu was fully aware of just how ready that wire was to snap.

On this long day, perhaps the twentieth day, Aang was learning to dance around the spirit within him, to allow himself to fall into a state of meditation without instead falling into her realm. In his minds eye he could see a wide expanse of forest, perhaps not unlike some of those that existed in the spirit wilds, sunlight breaking through the canopy leaving a beautiful bright green halo across the sky above him. Here he could wander safely, listening to the sound of the breeze rustling through the leaves, yet there was always a feeling of unease, that if he wandered too far he would find an area where the forest had just died. No fire had burned the trees, nothing had pulled from from their roots, they had just died and withered away until only the rock below remained. And here the Avatar spirit resides, a dark shadow in the center of the grave, whimpering and rocking to itself. Once he stepped too far, his bare feet making contact with the stone, and immediately it had looked up, a vision of himself with glowing blue eyes, naked and covered in dust, wild matted hair sticking to his face as he bared his teeth and screamed. He learned to stay away from that place, and though he knew it was there and that the creature still resided within, he could find a sense of peace knowing that, as long as he steered clear, it would stay where he had left it. On the twentieth day, with the sun burning his back, he breathed easy despite the darkness.

"You're back."

A soft voice flitted across the breeze in the forest, but it registered no more to him than the gentle trickle from a nearby stream.

"He's been meditating for the entire day ... it's got to have been at least twelve hours now-"

"Fourteen."

A low male voice cut in, the dulcet tones contrasting with the gentle sounds of the forest, and suddenly Aang became aware of the movement around him.

"How long does he need to keep doing this for? It's been weeks," the female voice hissed.

"Do you think he's ready?"

The forest began to fade away as his consciousness filled his body once more.

"By now he'll have found the Avatar spirit, and given he's not gone into the Avatar State he's either fought her and won, or he's avoiding her-"

"What?!"

Katara's raised voice brought him back to the courtyard with a crash. His eyes opened, and he became aware of the burning on his back, and irritably he looked round over his shoulder. Katara and Avatar Sansetsu stood behind him, the former with her eyes wide as she realised how loudly she had spoken, Sansetsu crossing his large arms across his chest and scoffing.

"Sorry," Katara said, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

"You've got a point, though," Aang replied, climbing gingerly to his feet, twisting his head to try and get a look at his burnt back. "I know why you thought it was so important that I master meditation again."

Curiously Katara looked between the pair, a shadow of concern across her features.

"So, you found her?" Sansetsu asked. Aang hesitated, thinking back to the glowing, snarling and feral doppleganger he had found in the forest of his mind.

"Yeh, I saw it."

A flicker of something crossed Sansetsu's face, his eyes twitching and his brow lowering a fraction before the look passed. "And what did you do?"

Aang felt Katara's blue eyes boring into his, and he did his best to keep his gaze fixed on the past Avatar stood before him. She had questions, and it would not be long before she asked them.

"I avoided it, of course," Aang admitted, raising his arms a fraction, unsure as to what Sansetsu hoped for his response.

"Good," the Avatar replied, his face expressionless. "You're not strong enough to face the Avatar State again, not yet. But now you know she's there, now you can visualize her and where she's hiding, everything you do from this point will be aimed towards making her hiding place smaller. Chip away at it piece by piece, growing stronger and more prepared to deal with her when you finally go into the Avatar State again."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Damn straight it makes sense," Sansetsu snapped. "And no more of this vague _'I guess'_ and _'if you say so'_ crap. You either agree, or you do not agree."

"Alright alright," Aang replied, holding his hands up in submission before adding, in a low grumble, "what happened to you to make you such a hard ass?"

Sansetsu's expression hardened, his upper lip curling into a snarl before he reached forward with a flash, his muscled and abnormally large arm throwing his robe aside as, with a loud yelp from Aang, he grabbed the young Avatar's ear. Still yelping, and with stunned protests from Katara, Aang found himself being dragged away from the fountain towards the center of the courtyard, dancing on tiptoes as he tried to keep up with the older Avatar, keen to avoid his ear being pulled any harder. With a grunt, Sansetsu let go of him, turning to face Aang with fists on hips and amusement on his face.

"Now, to start the next stage of your training."

"So, I'm done mastering meditation then?" Aang asked, rubbing his red and sore ear and throwing the older man a glare.

"I wouldn't say you've mastered it," Sansetsu replied, contemptuously, "but I suppose we can manage with the little you've achieved so far."

"Your faith is inspiring," Aang mumbled, his patience just about gone, "truly I've never had such a great teacher."

"Aang," Katara hissed warningly, nodding to Sansetsu before seating herself on the fountain.

"You're on his side?" Aang cried, raising his hands in despair. "I've already got a limp, scars just about everywhere, if I've now got one ear bigger than the other I swear to Koh I'll-"

"You'll what?" Sansetsu interupted. "You'll cry like a baby? Like a baby who's shit his pants?"

"Oh, that's real mature," Aang growled, rubbing his angry red ear once more. He hadn't thought it was possible until now to have a teacher tougher than Toph, yet here he stood, in front of an airbender no less, being treated like a child.

"Just stand on the damn circle," Sansetsu cut in, gesturing irritably to one of the decorative rings of marble on the ground. Gritting his teeth Aang stomped over, thinking back somewhat enviably to the time not much more than a few minutes previous where he had been sat in a peaceful meditative state. As he turned back to face him, Sansetsu untied his sash, shrugging on his robe and dropping it to the side. The man was impossibly muscled, broad chested and definitely intimidating, built more like an earthbender than an airbender. With his own skinny frame and poorly defined wiriness Aang suddenly felt very self conscious and vulnerable. He glanced over at Katara, and saw her eyes darting between him and the mountain of the man that stood before him, unmasked concern on her face.

"So, uh, what's the next lesson?" Aang asked, trying not to appear phased as Sansetsu cracked his knuckles, the way he eyed him not so unlike the way the dog spirits had done back in the forest.

"It's obvious from the scar on your face and that annoying ass limp that not only have you let your basic meditative skills go to shit, but that your fight and speed isn't what it was either ... I'm going to assume you weren't always this pathetic, though I have to be honest you've yet to given me any reason to put any faith in that." Aang frowned. "Now, think back to those sunny, care free days living in the temples, when you were but a smaller brat, what is that all airbenders must be?"

Aang blinked, looking past the insult and feeling confused at the sudden question. "We must be peaceful, patient, and-"

"Wrong!" Sansetsu's voice rang out clear as a bell. "The thing that really sets airbenders apart from the other races is that we are fast. Back in my day we were taught that the best airbending fighters were the ones that never made contact with their enemy."

"Airbending fighters?" Aang interrupted, visibly confused. Never in his entire time in among the nomads had he been encouraged to train as a fighter, and never was any past airbender praised for anything other than their peaceful and spiritual ways. Never as fighters.

"That's what I said, ain't it?" Sansetsu replied. "The very best fighters, the ones that could hold up against men sometimes even triple their own weight was to let their enemies wear themselves out, to use their-"

"Use their weight against them," Aang interrupted again. "Yeh, I get it, but that's not airbending teaching. We weren't taught how to fight-"

"Then how did you learn?" Sansetsu demanded. "From what I understand you were fighting firebenders pretty much as soon as that iceberg spat you out. If it wasn't the masters that taught you how did you know?"

Aang frowned, and he saw Katara lean forward from the edge of his vision. In truth, it wasn't something he had ever really thought about. "I dunno, we're taught how to avoid conflict, that's all I was doing until I learned more about the other elements."

"Right, and you managed that by being fast, right?" Sansetsu continued, reaching up to rub his temple.

"Well, yeh, so what's your point?"

"My point, oh attentive one, is that your enemy made contact. Twice." Sansetsu gestured to Aang's face and then to his leg. "You're meant to be faster, and the next time you face Tonrar he cannot made contact again, not even once. You understand, when you fought against him last time he was in the body of a rotting, dying spirit. But now that spirit's body has been back in the spirit world for a good solid time, and will have been for even longer by the time you're ready to face him, and he'll be stronger. He'll know better how to control Koh, that's even if he hasn't returned to his own body before then."

Bitterly Aang thought back to hearing Tonrar's voice coming from Koh's stinking body, and the weight and strength behind the force that he stabbed him even then, and swallowed.

"Further more, you're at a disadvantage this time. Even if you're able to remaster the Avatar State that leg of yours isn't going to be getting better any time soon." Aang looked down at his right thigh, frowning. "Short of some spirit water from the Northern Oasis that leg it probably about as recovered as it will ever be."

He knew that Sansetsu was right. After starting treatment for the infection he had been able to thoroughly rest his leg, yet despite that and the twice daily healing sessions from Katara he had found that there was a dull ache in his hip that simply had not faded, and a slight limp that seemed to have settled into his gait. The harsh truth, one that perhaps Sansetsu was trying to make clear to him, was that for an airbender a damaged leg was a pretty huge deal.

"So, you need to learn to work with your new disability," Sansetsu continued," not against it. You need to learn how much weight you can put on your leg before it gives, and how to favour your left side rather than your right. Because if Tonrar catches you and aims for that leg,which you can bet your ass he will, you're fucked."

"Alright, I get it," Aang sighed. "I gotta be faster. So, how do we start?"

"Like this."

Quick as a flash Sansetsu lunged forward with his fist, aiming straight for Aang's face. Aang's instincts sprang into action and he bent his knees to jump clear over the past Avatar's head, but with the jolt that hit his leg and the head start Sansetsu had, he simply wasn't quite enough, and with a pained grunt he felt the large fist sink into his stomach, throwing him back several feet before he landed on his rear in one of the battered flower beds.

"Aang!"

Wincing he looked up, hand going to his stomach as he saw the exasperation across Sansetsu face, mixed with a touch of amusement. Katara was quickly at his side, before she turned her head sharply round.

"What's your deal?" she demanded at Sansetsu. "Are you trying to help him or are you aiming to make things worse?"

"Well, actually, I was aiming for his head," Sansetsu responded with a shrug. Katara growled, jumping to her feet, the air around them cooling as she drew water from the fountain towards her, freezing it.

"Katara." Aang reached forward, grabbing her wrist. She looked back at him, eyes blazing furiously, and he shook his head. "It's ok, I'm alright." Her nostrils flared, looking at him doubtfully before dropping her hands with a snarl.

"Alright, but just this time," she said, her voice still shaking with rage. "But if he keeps this stupid game up I'm going to stick that water right through his damn skull."

Sansetsu let out a long, low whistle. "I've said it before but seriously, why can't you be the Avatar?"

Gingerly Aang climbed to his feet, relieved at least that his short flight hadn't injured his leg further. He put his hand on Katara's shoulder and, with a low grumble, she nodded and headed back to the fountain where she took her seat once more. Dutifully Aang took his place opposite Sansetsu once more, hating the contemptuous look across his face. Aang had known from the start that the past Avatar didn't strictly like him, but it was becoming obvious that it was more than just that. Sansetsu had no respect for Aang, and the way he looked at him made it clear that it wasn't just that he disliked Aang; he hated him.

"Not the best start was it?" Sansetsu scoffed. "And it looks like your mummy had to come to your rescue again. I'm embarrassed for you, honestly."

Suddenly he found himself really wanting to wipe that look from Sansetsu's face. He was a peaceful soul, he was good at avoiding a fight, he always resolved to solve his problems without violence, but that big bald head really needed a smack.

"Ok, one more time."

Sansetsu didn't give Aang any time to gather himself, but he didn't need it. The old Avatar was fast, faster than anyone he had faced before, faster even than Azula, but Aang was faster, leg or no leg. He had mastered airbending at twelve years of age, he had defeated Ozai at little under thirteen years, and he had mastered three elements in less than a year. Almost in slow motion he saw Sansetsu's fist fly towards him, the old Avatar adjusting his course to the right in an effort to catch him off guard, and pushing most of his weight onto his left leg Aang jumped into the air. He cleared Sansetsu's head, and as he did he pushed down once more, using Sansetsu's big head to propel himself higher. He looked behind him to see Sansetsu thrown forward, his face colliding painfully with the marble floor below as Aang landed elegantly behind him. Triumphant he raised his head, as a grunting Sansetsu pulled himself up from the ground.

"I'm embarrassed for you, honestly," Aang said, as Katara whooped from the side lines.

Brushing himself off Sansetsu looked over at him before his face broke into a maniacal grin. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He cracked his fists. "Again!"

Aang and Katara exchanged another look, each raising a single eyebrow.

The day continued much the same for a further two hours, Sansetsu throwing hits and jabs and kicks whilst Aang dodged and ducked and jumped. But, after besting the old Avatar once, it was proving difficult to do so again. Aang was becoming more and more aware of the weakness on his right side, and instinct would often take charge before common sense and he would take a leap from his right foot or dodge to Sansetsu's left and find himself slowed by the sharp bite in his joints. Each time Sansetsu would scold him, giving him little time to recover before he was on him again. Being essentially spirit, the past Avatar didn't tire like Aang did, and as the sun finally started to make it's decent he was panting and sweating, his mop of hair stuck to his face and his hip screaming at him. But as angry as he was at Sansetsu for pushing him so hard, he knew that he was nothing compared to Tonrar.

Sansetsu looked up at the sky, sighing before reaching down to grab his robes, and gratefully Aang dropped to the floor, trying to slow his breathing.

"You can do better," Sansetsu said simply, looking down at him. "From this point we work on your speed and physical strength. You better hope this night is a long one because we start as soon as the sun comes back." And with that, the past Avatar disappeared. Aang grimaced at the empty spot where he had stood, wiping his wrist across his sweaty forehead as Katara made her way over to him.

"That looked pretty rough," she said quietly, looking down at him concerned. "He's going too fast, pushing too hard. This is just going to make things worse."

With a heavy sigh Aang lay on the stone floor, raising his hands and rubbing his face. "No," he muttered through his fingers, groaning at the pain his body, "we've already been in this place too long, Katara. I don't really have the luxury of time any more."

"But this isn't going to help anyone if it pushes your recovery back," Katara reasoned, her voice tense.

He peered through his fingers up at her. She stood with her hands crossed against her chest, her concern obvious on her features, and with a grunt he pulled himself back up into a sitting position.

"Yeh, I suppose you're right," he said, before glancing up at the sky. "Come on, let's get inside."

Quietly Katara followed, her face a turmoil of emotions.

As soon as they were in their empty home away from home, Aang dropped face down onto the bed with a heavy puff of air. Everything ached by this point, not just his hips. Sansetsu hadn't held back, and he knew that there would be a fresh trail of bruises across his body by the time the sun came up. With his freshly burned back, head of ridiculous curly hair, and that scar across his face he found himself glad that the mirror was upstairs.

He was so tired that he didn't even feel Katara until she had sat next to him, and with effort he opened his eyes and rolled onto his side, looking across at the picture of radiance beside him and smile.

"You're much too pretty for me," he said sleepily. His stomach churned with hunger and his body hurt, but despite all that he was finding his eyes growing heavy.

"Well, if you're going to keep letting yourself get beat up like that ..." Katara's tone wasn't a light one, and he opened his eyes again, immediately alert at the tone of her voice. Her eyes were drifting down his body, lips pursed as she examined the cuts and bruises already forming down his side. With a grunt he tried to raise himself up, but Katara reached out and pressed her hand forcibly against his chest, lying him back down. Without a word she pulled the water from the small bowl beside her and set to work on his injuries, her face dark and her shoulders stiff. She was angry, he knew that much. At him? Probably. At Sansetsu? Most definitely. But mostly he knew she still had questions after what Sansetsu had said about the Avatar spirit earlier in the day, questions for which the answers she was hoping he would willingly offer to her without her asking. He lay in silence, watching her. He had kept a lot from her in the past, it had somehow seemed natural to him to keep the gruesome details of the Avatar spirit and his meditations from her as well. But he was trying to be better than that. He owed her better than that.

"Sit up," she said, her voice rigid. "I need to check your sunburn then mix your medicine."

Dutifully he pulled himself up, bending forward so that she could set to work on his back. With his face no longer visible to hers he felt brave enough to finally speak.

"I don't see the Avatar spirit."

Katara didn't answer, only pausing for a moment before continuing her healing.

"When I meditate it's like there's an entire area of my soul that I can't go. Like, everything else is a forest and there's a place where the trees have just ... died. It's not just negative chi, it's not just what Tonrar has left behind, it's like ..." he hesitated, waving his hand before him as he searched for the words to describe what it felt like. "There's a darkness and it's not just mine, there feels like there's too much of it to be mine alone."

"So, what do you see?" Katara asked, speaking at last. "If not the Avatar spirit what do you see?" Aang paused, looking at the small flame of the candle that illuminated their bed, his heart hammering and his stomach churning at the thought of what he was about to say.

"Me."

At that, Katara froze, the water dropping onto the bed. Aang shut his eyes tight. He had frightened her, she shouldn't have said anything ... But then he felt her hand on his arm, squeezing tight, and he looked up into her wide intense eyes.

"What do you mean you see you?" she asked. "You said it was too big to just be yours." Aang looked up at the ceiling, intent on avoiding her gaze once more.

"There's this place that I keep seeing in my dreams. I've been there before, it's where Tonrar pulled me into the spirit world back in Iroh's tea shop leaving my body behind. But ... I've seen it even before then. It's where it happens, in my dream, it's where I-" he faltered, before taking a deep breath. "It's where I'm standing each time I find myself covered in blood." _Where I see you dead_. "When I meditate there's a place, that darkness, and I think it's the same place. It doesn't look exactly like it; in my nightmares there's nothing but rock around me, yet when I meditate it's surrounded by a forest, but the feel is the same ... the coldness the same."

"Except when you meditate it's you there, not Tonrar," Katara said in a hushed voice, her hands tightening around his arm.

"There's someone there. It looks like me," he paused, reaching up and grabbing a handful of his dirty hair, "how I look now. But it just sits there. Rocking and ... whimpering, like it's in pain. And if I get too close it wakes up, looks up at me and it's my face. My eyes are glowing and it starts to laugh and it- I looked like this crazed animal." He shook his head, the memory still painful. "I didn't think I could look like that."

Katara dropped his arm as if she had been burned, and he looked over at her sharply. He saw a wild panic in her eyes swiftly guarded with coldness, and he was unsure if she was protecting herself, or him.

"I've always hated seeing you in the Avatar State," she said, looking down at her lap, "you know that. Even when you learned how to control it you still weren't yourself, not quite. It made you cold, you had a job to do, and I often worry that if me and Sokka hadn't been there all those years ago you would have done something you'd regret a long time ago. But ... seeing you in it now? When Tonrar o-or Sansetsu tricked you, seeing you so consumed by the Avatar State ... looking like you want to kill, like you want to hurt people ... there's nothing more terrifying than that, Aang."

Doubtfully he reached out to her, his hand taking hers as the weight of her words settled down on him.

"It makes sense that you see yourself," Katara continued. "When you think about it, that darkest part of yourself fueled by the Avatar spirit's anger, what else could it look like other than what you fear most? Losing yourself."

Quietly Aang took in her words. Perhaps she was right ... he had never let the dark part of him surface. Sure there had been times when the pain of losing his people, or losing Appa, had pushed him in a place of rage, but until he had come face to face with Tonrar he had never even understood that there could be a part of himself that could be so consumed by his negative emotions, or that could want to hurt anybody. But perhaps he had just buried it deep, until someone liked Tonrar found it and brought it to the surface. This dark part of his psyche, separate from the Avatar spirit, was now only fueling her rage.

"I think this place, the one in my nightmares and when I meditate, is real. And I think I need to find it."

Katara let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "But isn't that where all the bad stuff happens? Isn't that where you lose it and see Tonrar?"

"Yeh, but maybe that's not what is supposed to happen. Maybe I'm supposed to get there _before_ Tonrar."

"Or maybe you're supposed to stay away from it," Katara reasoned. Aang picked at the mattress.

"I'll end up there sooner or later, we both know that. So maybe I should take fate into my own hands, for once. Maybe I should try and find it rather than just stumble across it later?"

Blue eyes inspected his face, teeth chewing lips, before Katara nodded. "I guess you could be right." Aang reached forward, grasping both of her hands.

"We already know more than we did," he said, his face close to hers. "We're here, Sansetsu is teaching me ... in his own way. And for the moment I can avoid the Avatar State, I know where in my mind I can't go. I just need to tough out the next few days, or weeks, or however long it takes for Sansetsu to decide I'm ready, before facing Tonrar again. And if Sansetsu takes too long then we go anyway."

Katara raised her eyebrows. "That's ridiculous, Aang."

"Our world is going to be destroyed," Aang replied firmly, the words ringing in her ears. "One way or another I am going to end this. Either I stop Tonrar, and the world's split apart once more, or I don't and this all ends. I have to make tough choices, Katara." She laughed, shaking her head.

"I know that. We've already had to make tough choices."

Nodding solemnly he leaned forward, pressing his lips against her cheek. But quickly she reached around and balled her hands into his hair, pulling his lips against hers. Aang felt the familiar jolt to his stomach, that weightlessness in his limbs, and he returned her kiss in full, though all too aware that that hissing, spitting version of himself wasn't too far away. She seemed aware of this too, and she pulled back before they could lose themselves in each other, looking up at him with hooded yes.

"Hey, do you remember the days when all we had to worry about was taking down the Firelord and mastering three elements in less than a year?"

Aang laughed, delighted at the twinkle that had returned to her eyes. "Yeh, those were the days!"

"Come on, you best take your medicine and get some sleep. I don't think Sansetsu was joking when he said training will resume as soon as the sun comes back. We could only have about twenty minutes."

"Good point," Aang agreed, before bending away the water that had fallen on their mattress and taking the herbs that Katara offered him. A little while later he pulled back the blankets and furs as they gratefully slid into the warmth.

***

Bad dreams. Fitful sleep. Confusion. The morning started just as every morning had for much of the year, except this time his body ached from all that he been put through physically the day before. Groaning Aang sat himself up, looking blearily across at the still sleeping for of Katara, shoulders rising gently as she slept, face buried deep in her pillow. As he had the last handful of mornings he decided to let her sleep, quietly pulling himself to his feet and tiptoeing his way past her to the ladder that led to the upper floor.

He hated catching sight of himself in the small mirror that sat above the basin in the bathroom. The bags under his eyes had become as familiar now as the ugly scar that ran from his eye to his cheekbone, and that infuriating birds nest of hair that sat atop his head. For a moment, his heart seemed to constrict in his chest as he looked back at himself, flashes of the version of himself he hid from in his psyche hitting like sunspots in his eyes, and he gripped the basin hard. For a solid minute he stood there, looking at his reflection, the long fringe covering his arrow, and with a sudden vehemence he reached into the bag of toiletries that had been left by the basin. Katara had packed the razor she had offered him back in the South Pole, a razor that despite Sansetsu's mentions of his hair had as yet been left unused. In a way it had felt like a defense, allowing his hair to grow and for his arrow to be covered, but now he was tired of hiding. Tired of seeing more and more of that monster reflected back in the mirror. Using the pump to the side of the basin he filled it with water and, after fifteen minutes of hacking and shaving his dark hair floated across it's surface, his tattoo vibrant as ever.

Sansetsu wasn't standing at his usual position by the marble arch when Aang finally left the house, slipping quietly past Katara and out onto the already bright courtyard. He acknowledged this with a certain relief, taking a deep breath as he was able to enjoy the fresh, cool morning air as it kissed his skin and newly shaven head. It was going to take a little while for him to get used to that sensation again, and he realised just how much warmer it felt to have hair on your head. With a light sigh he rubbed his head and looked around. Perhaps Sansetsu had decided he would give him some time to recover after all? At that thought he could only scoff. No doubt it wouldn't be long before the past Avatar swooped down on him with a surprise attack and foul language. With that in mind Aang decided to take advantage of this moment of peace and take a walk along the long wall that separated the city from the desert. Gracefully, despite his aching joints, he bent himself up using the walls and roofs of the surrounding buildings before landing lighting on the tall structure, closing his eyes as the fresh breeze washed up from the desert below.

He walked in silence, the sound of the birds singing on one side and the dunes shifting on the other providing the soundtrack to his lone wander. There was something that could be said for the spirit world, he supposed. It was much quieter here than in the mortal one, and in some ways perhaps more peaceful, even beautiful. He looked down at the city as he walked, balancing himself with ease on the two foot wide walkway provided, his eyes drawn to the series of round, white, marble courtyards that dotted it. Again he found himself wondering if those poor lost souls were still there, still walking their endless rotations, just invisible under the light of the sun. He sighed, looking forward to see a large flag post obstructing his way, but as he made to slip past he froze, catching sight of a lone figure standing at the very edge of the wall, looking down into the desert.

Sansetsu seemed lost in thought, the breeze picking up the hem of his long robe as he stood in the solid form that he could only take in the spirit world, now that his own body was long gone. Aang hesitated, not wanting Sansetsu to know that he managed to sneak up on him, but not wanting him to think that he was prying either. Yet, there was something, a tangled turmoil of emotion on the past Avatar's face that kept him rooted to the spot. The man looked as though he was in pain, his fists clenched and jaw shut, brow creased as his eyes looked down to the dunes below, as if pleading for them to rise up and take him. Aang watched, heart hammering as the Avatar raised his foot, holding it over the edge of the wall as if he planned to step out into thin air. For a moment, both Avatar's remained still, before Sansetsu shut his eyes, placing his foot back onto the wall. Quietly Aang took his moment to steal away, hurrying back down the wall and onto the roof of the nearing building, hoping that the past Avatar would not hear him.

As he jumped from roof to roof, brow furrowed, he found himself thinking of something that Sansetsu had said when they had first met ... _I know what it's like to lose control_... there had always been something there, a certain sadness that occasionally surfaced on Sansetsu's face that would be swiftly buried and replaced by his bad temper and sarcasm. He couldn't help but wonder what it was, exactly, that made Sansetsu so qualified to teach him over the past Avatar's. Lost in thought he made his way back to the courtyard. Had Sansetsu lost control of the Avatar spirit, too? Had he hurt people in the Avatar State?

"Where have you been?"

Aang looked up, alarmed to see Sansetsu leaning against his favoured archway, eyes narrowed as he eyed him suspiciously. Aang blinked, straightening and trying to look as innocent as possible.

"I was just taking a walk," he said quickly. "You weren't about yet so I thought I'd stretch my legs."

"Right..." The past Avatar eyed him for a moment longer before finally seeming satisfied with Aang's response. "I notice you found the time to shave your head this morning too."

"Yeh, well," Aang rubbed his head, "it was just getting in the way."

"That's good, seems you're finally making actual progress here," Sansetsu replied with a satisfied nod.

"Yeh, so speaking of which what are we doing today?" Aang asked, hoping that the past Avatar had been joking when he said that they would be sparring all day today as well.

"Core work."

"Ok, cool! Where do I start?" Sansetsu smirked before pointing to the ground.

"Press ups. Go."

"Uh, how many?"

"As many as you can before I tell you to stop."

Aang huffed, glowering, any previous empathy he may have grown towards the old Avatar fading fast as he dropped to the ground.

It was almost half an hour before Katara woke, making her way from the house and walking up to Aang on the courtyard.

"How long have you been doing that for?" she asked, stopping beside him. Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose and, panting, Aang grunted as he straightened his arms for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"I dunno," he gasped, "half hour maybe. Why?"

Katara sighed. "Because Sansetsu is practically in tears over there laughing."

Incredulously Aang looked back, and sure enough Sansetsu sat on the fountain, holding his stomach as he laughed, tears streaming down his face. Immediately Aang collapsed, his arms giving away.

"Are you kidding me?" he yelled. The past Avatar just laughed harder.

 **A/N: Hey folks! I am sorry for the long amount of time between updates, it's been a difficult time for me lately. But inspired by some very lovely reviews from a new reader I thought I'd get the next chapter up. Hope y'all had a good New Year and looking forward to Spring.**


	11. Lightning Field

They all clearly remembered the moment; the moment where things changed and they knew in their hearts for the very first time that their world was coming to an end. The moment when the snow stopped and everyone turned their hopeful faces to the sky, eyes bright at the thought that maybe they had reached the end of this terrible period in time. The workers stopped and dropped their tools, and people ran into the streets, yelling in excitement. Inside the Palace faces pressed to the windows, a father running out to the balcony as his daughter followed, her young eyes wide. Though those more familiar with the crackling sensation filling the air around them knew that something wasn't right, for most people all they could do was smile and weep as the wind died down after months of howling. The Firelord sensed the change without even needing to see outside, looking up sharply from his throne as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. In a flash he leapt to his feet, racing from the throne room and towards the wide entrance of his home, the guards already standing with the doors wide, looking up into the sky. Some smiled, others rubbed their arms to rid them of the goosebumps forming, and those that noticed bowed to their Firelord as he hurried past.

In the stables Xing Ying sat with Yuva, and had been trying to teach the little bison basic commands when her fur bristled and she let out a small moan, turning heal and running to Appa's side. The air acolyte watched in confusion at first as Appa began to growl, pressing himself as far away from the entrance to the stable as he could. She looked to the exit and amazed she saw that the snow was no longer falling, and with a glance back at the bison she inched forward, only to find her progress hindered when Yuva grabbed a mouthful of her robes, pulling her roughly backwards.

Outside in the city below, Toph stood with her feet pressed firmly to the ground. Around her she could hear the cheers and the celebrations, but all she could really sense was the drop in the wind and that feeling ... like something was dancing across her skin. For two glorious minutes the citizens of the Fire Nation Capital danced in the streets, whooping and spinning, and then came the long low rumble of thunder. They froze, eyes wide and fearful, uncertain until a flash illuminated the entire city, a hiss and a crack filled the air as the largest bolt of lightning any of them had ever seen shot into the ocean, and their awed silence turned to screams.

"What's going on?" Toph heard Dekho's voice from her right, before the pressure started to grow, an instant humidity that seemed to press in on her very eardrums. Screams came again as the second bolt of lightning came down, this time over the harbor, and Toph heard, with a sickening feeling in her stomach, the loud cracking of wood as one of the ships was struck, and people began to panic.

"We need to get out of here!" Toph yelled. "Get everyone inside, go!"

Her baby sitters immediately set off, trying to usher the frightened people back into their homes. They were close to the harbor, only half way through their daily rounds and the Palace was a long way away, too far to run, and so Toph stood her ground, fighting to make sense of what was going on around her through the screams and slamming feet.

"Get in your homes!" she yelled. Yet even her loud voice was impossible to hear over the third flash of lightning, and the thunder that followed. Then came the forth, and the fifth, and she realised that lightning was hitting the City, and with each growing sensation of electricity that shot through her limbs she heard more screams, the smell of burning wood and, to her horror, what she could have sworn was flesh. Everyone was far too panicked now to listen to her, and she could no longer sense Dekho or Heishi nearby. Another crack came followed by pained and horrified wails, and she started to panic, unable to see or sense anything besides the lightning, the pressure, and the panic.

The next bolt came close, much too close. She felt her teeth tingle and all her hair stand on it's end and, with no idea what else she could possible do, she ran, holding her hands out in front of her to try and sense where she was going. She ran into several people, but they were all far too preoccupied with the storm to notice her and, as someone large bashed into her side, she found herself thrown across the ground, hitting the stone hard. Panting she lay there, hands digging into the rock, desperate to get some understanding of her surroundings.

"Damn, will you all stop moving so much?"

Another crash came, this time to her right and she immediately felt the heat of it across her face. A loud creaking came, and desperately she curled into a ball, throwing her hands around her head as, shooting fire and shrapnel across the sky, the building she had dropped down next to came crashing down onto her, and all went black.

At the Palace, knuckles white as his hands gripped into fists, eyes wide with horror, the Firelord stood watching as bolt after bolt of lightning struck his City, destroying the homes and defenses they had worked so hard to create through the storm. The guards yelled at him to come back inside, but he was deaf to their pleas, his ears ringing, unable to take his eyes away from the events unfolding in front of him. One of their smaller warships was on fire, people were swarming and trying to take shelter where they could as achingly it dawned on him. He could redirect lightning, he could stop this massacre. Yet even as he took his first step forward it all stopped. A deathly silence followed, his ears popping with the pressure as one last long low grumble of thunder came and the madness ended. The dark clouds above still shimmered with light but, for now, the electric storm raging inside of them seemed content with the damage it had already caused. The muffled sound of the guards calling finally reached Zuko's ears, and slowly he turned his head.

"Firelord Zuko, you must get back inside!" General Mamoru was there now, her stoic facade long gone as an expression of fear marred her otherwise stern features. Pale and shaking Zuko stared blankly back at her, before a wail from the City finally shook him.

"General, get Sokka, Toph, Hakoda, Dekho, get everyone and get them to meet me in the throne room at once. This is a state of emergency and we need everyone out there coordinating a rescue response. Go!"

Mamoru bowed her head as she and two guards rushed off, and Zuko turned on his heel, hurrying back to the throne room where he ran into Sokka and Suki, alarmed and confused.

"What the spirits just happened?" Sokka asked. "Zuko, what was that?"

"If I had to hazard a guess," Zuko breathed, still trying to steady himself, "I would say it's the next stage of our worlds colliding. Get to the throne room, we need everyone there as soon as possible so we can coordinate a rescue. There are people trapped out there and fires to put out."

The pair nodded.

Before long the throne room was buzzing with activity, people shaking and confused as to what had actually happened, looking to each other and asking for reassurance and answers, and up at Zuko for hope. Zuko's mind was racing. There were people out there, his people. They were hurt, trapped, some even worse, and he couldn't stop himself from wondering how far the electric storm had spread ... _was Mai?_ ... He grit his teeth. How could things have changed so suddenly? They were prepared for an attack from the North, they had started to learn how to manage the blizzard, they were making progress. Then the heaven's opened and attacked them, and it felt like a very deliberate effort to break their spirits. His hands shook visibly, and try as he might he just couldn't stop them. His mother sat at his side, and he felt her hand on his arm. He nodded at her, before taking a deep breath. Taking strength from her, he stood and everyone silenced.

"Is everyone here?" he asked. "Are we missing anybody?"

Necks craned as they all got a good look at one another. In the crowd, Sokka felt his heart sink as he searched, a familiar face somehow not so obvious in the crowd.

"Good," Zuko continued, "Let's get straight to the po-"

"Wait!" Sokka interrupted suddenly, drawing all focus to him. "Toph. Where's Toph?"

Zuko felt his stomach drop as he looked wildly around at the crown, and sure enough her big black bob was no where to be seen, and neither was the familiar dark auburn hair of one of his most trusted.

"She and Dekho were on their daily patrol," piped up Yee-Li, her voice frail with fear. "There were out there!"

"Go," Zuko said, as Sokka looked back at him.

"Sokka-" Suki started, but he placed a hand on her arm.

"It's ok, help Zuko, I'll meet you out there"

"I'm coming too." Xing Ying pushed forward into the crowd to stand beside Yee-Li who was quick to nod her agreement.

"And me," Hakoda stepped forward from the back of the crowd, raising his hand.

"Find them," Zuko said, as the foursome hurried from the room. He tried to fight that sickening feeling in his stomach, he'd watched it all happen ... the panic, the noise. Dekho and Heishi may have made it out ok, but Toph? She was incredible, but she was still blind and in all that commotion ... He shut his eyes and swallowed, trying not to think of the cutting last words he had said to her.

"We need to be quick about this," he continued, forcing a strength to his voice. "All firebenders, regardless of rank, I need you to gain control of these fires. General Mamoru, you and non-benders are responsible for search and rescue, there are people trapped in buildings out there. Arnaq, Sansa, there are likely going to be lots in need of medical help, and it'll take far too long to get everyone up here to the Palace. The infirmary in the northern region seemed intact, so you and your best medics set up a base there. Everyone else, the injured will need carrying to the infirmary. Any questions?"

The crowd shook their heads.

"Good, go." Immediately the people in the room jumped to their feet, Mamoru calling over their head for her soldiers to join her, one of the firebending lieutenants calling across for the firebenders. Zuko gestured for Suki and Ty-Lee, who hurried over to him.

"Suki, I need you to be absolutely honest with me," he said urgently. "If you're not healthy enough for this you have to tell me-"

"I'm good, Zuko," Suki replied resolutely. "Just tell me what you need us to do."

"I need people to help get supplies to the infirmary, water is most crucial, can you both go with Arnaq and Sansa?"

"You can count on us, Zuko!" Ty-Lee replied, pounding her fist into her hand, as Suki nodded.

"What can I do?"

A little voice piped up, and Zuko looked down to see Kiyi standing beside him, her face determined.

"Kiyi, I need you to stay here with mum," he replied, crouching down to her level. "It's too dangerous out there."

"But I can do it!" Kiyi insisted, balling her fists. "I can control the fires!"

"I don't doubt that you can," Zuko said, reaching a hand out to cup her cheek. "But I can't afford for you to get lost out there, and who else am I going to trust to look after the Palace for me?"

Kiyi frowned, but with a heavy sigh she nodded. Ursa placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled gratefully down at Zuko.

"I'd like to help best I can too, Zuko," Ikem said, and Zuko nodded, now getting to his feet.

"What are you going to do?" Ursa asked him.

"Join the firebenders," Zuko replied.

***

"Where would she be?" Sokka cried as the four of them hurried down the stairs. "The City is huge! She could be anywhere!"

"Yee-Li," Xing Ying panted as she followed, "you must know Dekho's routine by now, he's your boyfriend after all!"

"I don't know it off by heart!" Yee-Li insisted. "I'm not his freaking stalker! But he left a couple hours ago, I'd guess they're near the harbor, if not there already."

"Harbor it is!"

The damage close to the Palace was minimal, and it seemed as though most of the people in the City had made their way up the hill to the Palace grounds, standing and crying as they looked down at the destruction below. Sokka and the others pushed their way through the crowed before they, too, came to a stand still, looking down with disbelief at the mess below. There were fires across the entire bottom of the city towards the harbor, a ship burned, slowing falling into the ocean, and buildings lay collapsed and on fire. There were still people down there, some calling for help, others desperately searching through the rubble, and even from here they could hear their cries. Sokka felt the blood drain from his face. Quickly he ran forwards, sliding down the hill as the others followed him, eyes wide and searching as they neared the main hub of activity.

"Oh thank the spirits!" One village man ran forward as they reached the base of the hill, grabbing hold of Sokka's shoulders. "There are so many people trapped down there! We need help!"

"The Firelord is sending help," Hakoda said, stepping forward and putting a hand on the man's arm. "He's rallying as many people as he can to try and coordinate a rescue effort. What's your name?"

"Rohit."

"Rohit, do you think you can get some of those civilians up there to help?"

Doubtfully Rohit looked up at the crowd of people accumulating at the base of the hill, rubbing his long beard. "I don't know, they've just been standing there! You'd think they'd have already come to help if they were going to!"  
Sokka cast the crowd a dark glare. Here they were rushing to find their friend and these group of sheep were just standing there, watching it all unfold. It seemed that Xing Ying shared his sentiment, however, because she suddenly stepped towards them.

"There are people dying down here!" she yelled, her hands raised. "What is wrong with you? Stop gawping like idiots and get down there and help, for spirit's sake!"

Shocked by the outburst from the skinny, orange robed girl below, they began to move, and Rohit raised his eyebrows.

"Well, that's one way to do it ..."

"Ok, come on we need to find Toph and Dekho," Sokka interrupted. Leaving Rohit and the civilians behind they pressed deeper into the city, hurrying towards the harbor. Before long they were forced to hold their hands to their faces as the heat from the many fires around them hit them. Sokka felt panic, there was so many people crying out for help, it was so hot, how could they find Toph? _What if she was already- No_. He shook his head, pushing forward until they finally found their way to the harbor.

"Toph!"

"Tooooph!"

"Dekho! Dekho, where are you?"

"We're going to have to split up," Hakoda said, coughing over the smoke. Sokka nodded, breathing hard. "Xing Ying, with me. Yee-Li stay with Sokka."

Sokka watching as his father the acolyte hurried off, calling Toph and the lieutenant's names as they went. It was worse here than he could have imagined. The smell of burning and charred wood filled his nostrils, and his eyes burned over the smoke. He could barely see and there he was searching for his blind friend. One of his best friends. He pushed forward, yelling her name the entire time, unable to comprehend that something bad had happened to her. She wasn't just anyone ... she was Toph. The hardest, toughest person he knew. Nothing could touch her. Surely nothing could hurt her. Then where was she?

"Toph!" He was practically screaming at this point, kicking aside rubble, searching in buildings, Yee-Li followed him, tears in her eyes as she called for Dekho. A bright flash hit his eyes from the base of one of the fallen buildings, and he turned on his heel. A small wooden shack, or certainly the remains of one, lay smouldering and collapsed in a heap as he then saw, with beautiful clarity, a metal clad foot sticking out from the rubble.

"Toph!" He ran towards her, dropping to his knees, grabbing the planks and throwing them wildly behind him. Then, mercifully, he saw her face, scratched and bloodied, but her face none-the-less. She lay unconscious under a heavy beam saved only, it seemed, by the metal band she had around her waist. Groaning and sweating he tried to lift the beam, but with all his desperation it was much too heavy for him.

"Yee-Li!" he yelled. "Get help! Find my dad, I can't lift this on my own!"

Wide eyed she called out Hakoda's name, covering her face as she stepped into the smoke only to find a figure push his way through.

"Dekho!" Immediately she threw herself into the arms of the scratched and scorched Lieutenant, who held her back tight.

"Yee-Li, are you ok?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Oh, I was so worried ..."

"Hey!" Sokka yelled, panting as he tried once more to move the beam. "Think you guys can lend me a hand?"

Dekho hurried forward, gasping when he saw Toph underneath. "Toph! Spirits, is she alive? Is she ok?"

"She's alive," Sokka confirmed. "But until we get this beam of her we won't know how ok she is, so help me!"

Together Sokka and Dekho heaved, each grunting with the effort until, finally, the rubble fell aside and they were able to drop the beam off of her. Sokka instantly dropped to her side, pushing her hair back from her face.

"Toph, Toph can you hear me?"

The earthbender remained still, and Sokka hesitantly felt over her body for breaks and injuries. His untrained hands felt the dampness at her side, before he pulled away to see his palm stained with blood. He paled, swallowing hard.

"We need to get her out of here, we need to get her to the Palace quick."

As he was lifting her, Hakoda and Xing Ying rounded the corner, both gasping when they saw the unconscious earthbender in Sokka's arms, her hand hanging limply down her side.

"Wait, where's Heishi?" Xing Ying asked, looking towards Dekho. The man's face darkened and he looked to the floor.

"He didn't make it."

His words stunned them, and the group stood in silence for a moment, the realness of this horror weighing down hard on their shoulders and hearts. They knew people must have died in this ... but someone they knew? Sokka looked down at Toph's still face, covered in blood and shut his eyes tight.

"Well, Toph will," he said firmly. "We need to get her to the healer. Now."

Despite her metal armor adding significant bulk to her figure, Sokka was still able to lift Toph bridal style in his arms, trying not to watch the sickening way her head rolled back, and the warmth of her blood on his chest.

"It's not a quick walk, Sokka," his father said, hurrying to his side as the warrior already took to marching up the pathway. "It may take too long-"

"Well what else can we do?" Sokka replied heatedly, stepping over a charred beam. "I can't heal her!"

"Wait!" The group looked back to see Xing Ying pulled something attached with a string from the front of her robe, and Sokka was filled with relief to see the familiar glint of Aang's old sky bison whistle, an item that had saved their behinds much more than once back in the day.

"Why didn't we use that to get down here?" Yee-Li asked, throwing her hands in the air exasperatedly.

"Appa doesn't like fire," Xing Ying replied, before raising the whistle to her lips and blowing. "We'd struggle to get him here, but maybe he'll come if he knows we need help."

"Come on, buddy," Sokka mumbled, looking up into the sky, eyes watering from the smoke. A handful of minutes passed, and just as Sokka was about to give up waiting, a familiar shape swooped in over them in the sky, uttering a low uncertain roar. Appa landed heavily in front of them, the fear and anxiety clear on his face and he growled at the flames still flickering, but his growl turned to a whine as Sokka brought Toph to him.

"Appa, what would we do without you?" Sokka breathed. Hakoda and Dekho climbed up onto the bison, reaching down to help Sokka with Toph's body, and with a yip yip from Xing Ying Appa took gratefully back to the sky, and towards the Palace.

By the time they made it to the Firelord's home it became clear that Toph had lost a lot of blood. Her face was pale, lips blue, and it was all Sokka could do to keep his hands from shaking as he and his father carried her body to the infirmary.

Sokka did not notice how quiet it was in the Palace until they finally rounded the corner to the hospital ward, so preoccupied with Toph that it hadn't occurred to him. But when they kicked through the double doors to find an empty room, he felt his heart drop.

"Zuko?"

"Where is everyone?" Xing Ying breathed, looking around. Hakoda groaned.

"They must all be out there helping."

"But what about Toph?" Sokka practically yelled, turning on his father. "Where's the healer? She needs help, now!"

"Where's the nearest infirmary?" Yee-Li asked Dekho, the soldier gulped.

"It's back in the north quadrant."

"But that's all the way back from where we just came from!"

"Sokka, what's going on?"

The group looked back towards the door to see Suki, eyes wide with confusion. Then, her eyes dropped to the body in his arms, the blood soaking into his blue shirt, and her hands rose to her mouth.

"T-toph?"

"Where's nurse Sansa? The healer?"

"They're both down in the city," Suki replied, her face green. "Oh spirits ... Sokka, we can get there? Uh, ok, we just need to hurry-"

"But she's losing blood now!"

He was interrupted suddenly by a hacking cough, and a long drawn in breath, rusty sounding and sore.

"Toph!"

Sokka lay her down on the bed, leaning in over her as the group crowded uncertainly. Her blind eyes blinked slowly, and she reached out a hand. Heart hammering he took it, rubbing her cheek.

"Toph, shh, it's ok. You're ok-"

"K-Kanto," she rasped. Sokka blinked.

"Uh ... what?"

"Kanto ... h-healer ..."

Sokka looked up at his father, who looked back with equal surprise, wondering how Toph could possibly know this, or if perhaps she had grown delusional.

"He's a bender?" Hakoda asked, certain that the man was not. But Toph had passed out again, her eyelids fluttering shut and her head dropping to the side.

"We don't have another choice," Sokka said, his voice shaky. "It'll take too long to get to the healers ... Dekho, do you have the authority to get him out of prison?"

Dekho bit his lip. "Technically."

"Good, go get him."

"Dekho be careful, please," Yee-Li said, grabbing his hand as he turned. The red headed soldier gave her a brave smile and kissed her forehead before hurrying off.

"Hang in there, Toph," Sokka muttered, stroking her hair back from her forehead. "Just hang in there."

It was a long fifteen minutes before Dekho finally returned, pulling a confused looking Kanto with him. The Northern man was still shackled, no doubt to stop him using this as an opportunity to run, but his wide eyed face made it clear that running was the last thing on his mind.

"You're a healer?" Sokka asked, stepping away from Toph, Suki's hand still on his arm as he looked at the man that had kidnapped Katara, face to face for the first time since Kanto had arrived in the Fire Nation. His father, and Zuko, had refused to let Sokka see him, no matter how fervently Sokka had demanded it, knowing that in his emotional state there was no telling just how he would react. Sokka had been furious with them, furious that the man that had put Katara in so much danger, who had worked under Innua, who had made it possible for all this to happen and for Tonrar to return, was in the Fire Nation. He had wanted so badly to hurt this man as he had hurt him. And yet, as he stood staring at him, all he could think of was Toph. She needed to get better. He couldn't lose her too. Wouldn't.

"Uh, I'm not a bender," Kanto said, looking warily between Sokka and the Chief. Sokka growled in disbelief.

" _What?_ So we wasted all this time on you and you're not even a healer!"

"No, no, I mean I'm not a healer like the benders are," Kanto said quickly, holding his shackled hands forward. "But I'm well trained in the practical methods of medicine, non-bending healing."

Sokka's nostrils flared, and through gritted teeth he managed, "well, can you help her?"

He pointed towards Toph laying on he bed, pale and bleeding, and Kanto gasped.

"Wh-what happened to her?"

"Can you help or not?" Sokka snapped. Suki stepped forward with some concern, her eyes meeting Hakoda's as they readied to step in. The Northern man looked Toph up and down, swallowing, before nodding.

"I'll do what I can." He raised his hands, gesturing to the shackles. "But I can't do anything with these."

"Sokka, are you sure? Maybe the Firelord should-"

"Take them off," Sokka said to Dekho, interrupting his father. After a seconds hesitation, Dekho nodded, turning and unlocking the shackles as Kanto let out a sigh of relief, rubbing his wrists for a moment before he walked to Toph's side.

"So, what happened?"

"She was outside when the lightning started," Dekho offered, as Sokka hurried to her other side. "A building collapsed on her. There was a heavy beam on her side but I think her metal waist belt saved her ... for the most part. There's a deep wound on her side, I don't know what the cause is for that but it's bleeding."

Carefully Kanto rolled her onto her side, feeling around the wound and then up and down her back.

"Good news, I don't think there's anything inside of the wound, so I can close it." Sokka and the others let out cried of relief. "But I'm going to need you guys to leave."

"No chance," Sokka snapped immediately. "There is no bloody way I'm leaving you alone with her."

"Ok, then you stay, but I need everyone else to leave," Kanto replied, nodding his head towards the others.

"Why?" Sokka demanded.

Kanto bit his lip, taking his hands away from Toph. "Firstly, I can't work with so many people crowding me and breathing down my neck like this," he replied slowly. "Secondly this is an open wound and most of you are covered in soot and other such. And thirdly, I'm going to need to remove some of her armor and clothing and for the sake of her dignity perhaps it'd be better if there wasn't a load of faces gawping at her."

Sokka narrowed his eyes at Kanto, looking between his broken nose and blue eyes, wondering which would be better to punch first, but there was a calm authoritativeness to the Northern mans expression, and he sighed.

"Fine," he grunted. "Everyone wait outside, maybe see if you can help anyone else."

"Sokka, are you sure?" Suki asked quietly.

"This doesn't seem safe," Hakoda agreed.

"Look, I know you two least of all have any reason to trust me," Kanto said quietly. "But I want to help. That's why I came to the Fire Nation to begin with. Please, I won't hurt her."

Sokka nodded at his father, and with a brief tilt of his head Hakoda ushered everyone from the room. Suki paused, looking back at him with concern, but Sokka smiled grimly, and with a small sigh she followed the group out. Once they were gone, Sokka looked back to Kanto.

"Just so we're clear," he growled, his voice low, "I haven't forgiven you, I won't ever forgive you, so you better help my friend or so help me you'll wish you never came to the Fire Nation because you sure as shit won't ever leave it."

Kanto nodded his head, avoiding eye contact as he turned his attention to the metal belt around Toph's waist.

"Is there any way to get this off?" he calmly asked. Sokka shook his head.

"It's one piece. She wraps it around herself with metal bending. Is that bad?"

"We'll just have to work around it," Kanto said quietly, before reaching over to the knife that stood on the side table. Sokka couldn't help but hold his breath as he saw Kanto place the knife so closely to Toph's skin, watching and ready for even the slightest sign of wrong-doing from the son of the bitch. Quickly Kanto cut through cut through her layers of clothing, until her side lay bare to them, revealing the ugly wound underneath. Sokka's stomach churned as he looked into the blood hole in her side. Kanto reached back over to the table, pouring a strong clinical smell fluid over his hands as he pulled a knife, threads, and needles close to him. He poured the disinfectant into metal cup, dropping each item in in turn. Taking a deep breath, Kanto pressed against the wound, gently inserting a finger. Bile rose to Sokka's throat and he turned away, pressing his wrist to his mouth as he heard the sound of flesh moving.

"You ok there?" Kanto asked.

"Shut up," Sokka grumbled in return.

After a few minutes Kanto spoke again, relief in his voice.

"I can't feel any shrapnel or anything else in there," he said. "Whatever stabbed her must have come back out again when you moved the beam."

"That's good, right?" Sokka asked, finally feel level enough to look around.

"Yes," Kanto replied with an honest smile. "Very good."

Sokka refused to return the smile, keeping his cool gaze on the Northern man as he proceeded to disinfect his hands once more, before threading the needle. Carefully, checking Toph's face for any reaction, Kanto inserted the first stitch, and each of them let out a sigh of relief as she didn't react.

"So, how did she know you were a healer or whatever anyway?" Sokka asked. Kanto glanced up at him quickly, before look back down at his work.

"She came to visit me," he replied, " in the prison. I think she wanted to know more about what happened out on the ice, and why I was here."

"What?" Sokka frowned. He looked down at Toph's still face. Why hadn't she told him she'd gone to visit Kanto? She knew how badly he had wanted his own face to face with the man, after all. And why hadn't she told him what she had learned from her visit?

"No one seemed willing to give me a chance, and she wanted to know what I knew," Kanto continued, seeing the look on Sokka's face. "I guess she just thought it would be easier to find out for herself."

"There's a reason Zuko and my dad wouldn't give you a chance," Sokka replied coldly. Then he reached out, taking Toph's cold hand and gently stroking the back of her palm. "But yeh, that sounds like Toph."

Kanto looked down at their hands for a moment, before tying off the fifth stitch. "She must mean a lot to you," he said quietly.

"We've been through a lot together," Sokka replied gruffly.

"I can imagine," Kanto sighed. "You know, I was there? Back in the Siege of the North?"

"Well, being from the Northern Water Tribe I suppose you had to be," Sokka scoffed.

"I remember thinking that the three of you were all so close," Kanto continued, as if he hadn't heard the disdain in Sokka's reply. "I mean, you and your sister I get, but you treated the Avatar like he was your little brother."

Sokka frowned, suddenly thrown by the new turn of the discussion. "Well, he kinda is. He may have been a complete ass these last few months but ... he's still family. Just as Toph is."

"That ... must be nice."

Sokka opened his mouth to reply, then faltered. He wasn't sure what to make of what Kanto was saying ... this man that had kidnapped his sister talking about how nice it must be to have a family? But before he could think of a reply, Kanto put down the needle, pressing his hand gently against the wound.

"Done, all stitched up. I've done my best, and there's still a risk of infection. She'll need to take colloidal silver daily, and I'll make up a spray of that and honey to apply to the wound."

"Uh-"

"But the biggest problem we have now is her blood loss." Kanto looked up to her pale face. "She's lost a lot of blood, Sokka, probably too much for her to recover on her own."

"So, what do we need to do?" Sokka asked, his voice shaking.

"Transfusion." Kanto hurried over to the table, looking for tubes and needles. "Check the drawers, I need a long hollow tube, two needles ..."

After a seconds hesitation Sokka began to hunt through the drawers on the others side of the room. He found a long thin tube, holding it up for Kanto to see.

"Will this do?"

"Perfect."

Hurriedly Kanto grabbed it from him, sticking the needles in either side of the tube, wrapping bandage around to keep them secure, before grabbing Toph's wring and pressing the needle against it.

"Wait! What are you doing?"

"I need to transfuse some of her blood with mine," Kanto replied, before slipping the needle into one of her veins. He then grabbed the other side, ready to stick the other needle into his own wrist.

"Whoa, hey no, not yours," Sokka snapped, holding his wrist forward. Kanto frowned.

"And what's your blood type?"

"Uhh ... red? Ain't everyone's?"

"We'll use mine," Kanto sighed, sticking the needle into his vein before Sokka could react, holding his hand high. For a moment, nothing happened, and then Sokka watched in amazement as blood began to seep from Kanto and down the tube into Toph.

"Whoa ..."

"I thought you were some sort of brilliant genius?" Kanto asked, having long ago heard of Sokka's inventions and tactics in battle.

"Well, I don't know about brilliant," Sokka replied, a slight grin coming to his face in spite of himself. "Super amazing, maybe. But just because I can build submarines and airships doesn't mean I know how to do a transfusey or whatever it is, that's more Katara's bag."

"Transfusion."

"Yeh, that. She'll be ok, right?"

Kanto looked up at him. "If the transfusion takes, which it should do, then yeh. She'll be ok. The metal belt saved her for sure, she'll have some nasty bruising and probably a scar, but yeh. She'll survive this."

"And ... how long before she wakes up?"

"That I can't tell you," Kanto replied with a sigh. "But hopefully soon."

Sokka turned his gaze back to his unconscious friend. Seeing Toph so vulnerable, so fragile, had been just about the most terrifying thing in the world. Maybe more terrifying that Tonrar bearing down on them ... even more than Aang in the Avatar State and out of control. She had always seemed untouchable, the strongest of all of them despite her disability and size, and hte one who had rallied them together when things had gotten tough and they had all turned against Aang. Without Toph he wasn't sure anything in the world would make much sense any more ... she was their rock.

"Thank you," Sokka said quietly. Kanto looked up surprised. "As I said, I don't forgive you. You took my sister from me, and now she's so far away from me I'm scared I won't ever get her back. But thank you for helping Toph."

Kanto felt sick for a moment, looking away. "You're welcome. I couldn't let her die." A silence followed before, at length Kanto spoke again.

"You don't need to believe me, or trust me, I know I don't deserve that ... but I just want you to know that I didn't mean to hurt your sister. Innua is dangerous, and when she got your fathers letter I didn't know what she was going to do, or what she could do to the Avatar." He hesitated, and Sokka though not not looking at him, listened. "For what it's worth, your sister is strong. If she was able to heal the Avatar after what happened to him I don't think you need to be worried about her."

Sokka sighed, his thoughts turning back to Katara. Where was she now? How close were she and Aang to finding Tonrar? To beating him? The electric storm proved to him, without a shadow of a doubt, that Aang hadn't been mistaken when he said that the world was ending, and the end was getting closer. But how could he sit and hope that Katara was facing Tonrar right now without wishing she were also in danger? That she wasn't right now facing the most dangerous spirit they had ever met? He had faith that Katara would do all that she could ... but there was just so much standing against her, and bitterly he couldn't help but wonder whether Aang could be one of those things. He had been beaten by Tonrar, and he had been a completely different man over the last five months. Was he able to gain control? Could he take back whatever it was that Tonrar had stolen from him? Once more his gaze turned back to his friend lying on the bed. He had refused to believe that this could be the end of them, but as the strongest person he knew lay unconscious on the table he couldn't help but fear that ... maybe ... it was.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for all the new follows and reviews on this story over the last couple of weeks! I am sorry that I don't always respond to each review, but I do read them and it does majorly cheer me up, hopefully this next chapter will make up for that!**


	12. Waltz and Warning

"No, no, no! You're stepping from your right leg. _Again_. Are you a complete idiot?"

A great many miles and a whole world away from the Fire Nation and it's troubles, an exhausted bald-headed monk leaned down, hands on his knees as he panted, sweat dripping down his temple.

"Sansetsu, I'm trying!" Aang gasped, raising a hand a wiping the salt from his eyes. "But I've always favoured my right! You can't just unlearn those things in a few days!"

"Weeks," Sanestsu snapped in response. "Weeks we've been doing this, chump, and you've barely improved at all."

Past and present Avatar's had indeed been training for weeks, almost two in fact since Aang had moved from meditation into core work, each day going through the same drills. It was frustrating, Aang knew that his strength was returning to his body. In just two weeks of daily activity he had begun to recover some of the bulk to his body, his speed increasing as he learned to dodge Sansetsu's attacks and race him from one side of the city to the other on top of the roofs and ground. He felt his energy returning, his mind sharpening, yet still he continued to come up short against Sansetsu time and time again. Far from Katara's method of positive enforcement, the past Avatar would instead mock and criticise, pushing Aang harder and harder until the younger man felt as though he was going to snap. That day they had been working on Aang's mobility, Sansetsu stabbing at him with a long stick and getting him to dodge. But Aang's instinct to dodge, and to dodge fast, seemed to over ride his mind when it came to focusing on which leg to step from, and over and over he would make the same mistake, getting more infuriated each time.

"Well, then maybe I _am_ an idiot," Aang snapped, finally unable to maintain any sense of restraint. "Maybe this is all just one big waste of time!" Angrily he threw one of his hands behind him, collapsing one of the marble arches, causing a cloud of dust to rise up above him. Katara, who had been practicing her own bending by the fountain looked over in alarm whilst steam practically burned from Sansetsu ears. Angrily the past Avatar spat on the ground before charging up to his pupil.

"And what exactly was the point in that?" he snarled, almost nose to nose with Aang. Furiously Aang glared up into the larger airbender's eyes, his face hot. He wasn't an angry person, in fact it historically took a lot to trip his temper, but Sansetsu filled him, day after day, with rage. "It's not that damn hard to get. Press of with your left-" he poked Aang hard on the left temple. "Not you're right." He then poked his right.

"Quit it," Aang growled.

"Or what, asshole?" Sansetsu teased, prodding him again, this time in the center of his forehead.

"I said quit it!"

"Yeh? What are you going to do about it, pipsqueak, huh?"

"Sansetsu-" Katara called out in warning, seeing the anger blazing on Aang's face and the way his fists were beginning to curl. But Sansetsu waved her down, continuing to jab him on the forehead.

"What is a skinny, pathetic little failure like you going to do to stop me?"

"I said stop!" Aang raised his hands, marble rising and rushing in from the side, encasing itself around Sansetsu and, with a yell Aang pushed back, the rock careering back into another marble arching, carrying Sansetsu with it. With a crack he smashed against the archway, the white stones collapsing on top of him and burying the airbender below. Panting heavily, eyes wide with the shock at what he had just done, Aang's eyes dropped to his sides.

"That was uncalled for."

With a certain relief Aang jumped, turning to see Sansetsu standing behind him, brushing down his robes.

"Are you crazy?" Aang cried. "What if I had gone into the Avatar State?"

"But you didn't."

"No, but dammit if I had-"

"No, no you're missing my point," Sansetsu said, rolling his eyes and smacking his hand against his forehead. "Spirit's it's like explaining things to a flying lemur ... you _didn't_ go into the Avatar State. You got mad and you smacked me one, and I think I'm right in thinking that just a month ago you would have gone into the Avatar State?"

Aang blinked, looking round at the pile of rubble that was once an archway, then down at his own hands. Sansetsu was right. He had baited him before, and he had been easily as angry then as he was today, yet this time he hadn't even felt the rise of the Avatar State. He hadn't felt the spirit inside him ready to lash out in his defense. He just felt his own raw anger and desire to hit the man standing before him.

"Well, it looks like we have actually made some honest to Koh progress." Sansetsu clapped his hands together, winking across at Katara who had a grin on her face. "You may still be super easy to hit but at least you punch back at last."

Aang looked over at Katara, numbly enjoying the warmth of her smile.

"Yeh yeh, we'll celebrate. But for the love of all infuriated Avatar's in the fucking spirit world over can you please put your weight on your left damn leg?"

"Look, I am trying," Aang said, raising his hand to run it through his hair before remembering that he was bald again, a habit that he was finding hard to break. "But, like I said, it's not easy to retrain myself to push off from the left when I am so used to kicking off from the right."

Sansetsu shook his head, his underlying anger seeming to dissolve under what seemed like possible pride over Aang's quiet yet huge bit of progress. He walked up to him, before pushing Aang hard, to the left.

"Now, what did you just do then?" he asked as, a little confused, Aang steadied himself.

"Uh, I pushed back," he answered, somewhat irritably. Then, quick as a flash Sansetsu pushed him hard to the right, and with a sharp hiss of pain Aang steadied himself.

"And what did you do then?"

"Right right, I used my right leg to steady myself," Aang snapped. "But you're pushing me that way, if I don't steady myself you'll knock me over."

With an annoyed growl, Sansetsu raised his right leg, crossing it over his left knee. "Ok, push me to the right."

Aang couldn't help but hesitate. Sansetsu was, after all, much bigger than him, and truthfully he wasn't sure if he could even get the man to budge. After a moment's hesitation he pushed against the past Avatar's shoulder and, predictably, he didn't move.

"Oh, for spirit's sake, I said push!"

Aang stepped back, then charged, throwing all his weight into Sansetsu's side and, as soon as he made contact, he felt his arms grabbed, his body propelled, before landing heavily on the stone floor. Aang looked up, shocked and coughing dust, to see Sansetsu still standing perfectly centered.

"See, I didn't even need my right leg at all there," he said, with a certain smugness. "I used your weight to pull me over just enough to the left to keep myself balanced. I have a strong enough core that I can take you with just one leg, easy."

"Ok, lemme try that," Aang said, immediately climbing to his feet and feeling eager despite Sansetsu's goading. He lift his right leg, crossing it across his thigh. Katara, letting her water drop back into the fountain, settled herself down to watch the action, and Aang flashed her a confident smile, cheered from his ability to avoid the Avatar State. Perhaps he had made progress after all. Perhaps this was all worth while. Then, Sansetsu pushed him, and Aang swiftly fell to this right, windmilling his arms to gain balance and only just keeping his footing.

"Oh sweet fucking damn I'm training a child."

Aang brushed himself down, growling under his breath. "I don't get why I can't do this!" he snapped. "I got these-" he pointed to the tattoo on his forehead, "-at twelve years old. And now I can't even stay standing!"

"Aang, don't be so hard on yourself," Katara said, cutting in before Sansetsu could speak, shooting him down with a single pointed glare. "Tonrar injured you badly, it's only natural that it should take you a while to get back to the level you're used to."

"I know, but I've been training for weeks." Aang sighed. "I should be able to do this by now."

With a long suffering sigh Sansetsu put his hand over his forehead. "Well, then maybe we're not approaching this the right way," he said quickly, his teeth visibly grinding. Katara raised her eyebrows.

"Is that the great Avatar Sansetsu admitting he might have got something wrong?" she asked, with a mock gasp. "Surely not?" Sansetsu lowered his hand, glaring at her over the top of his wrist.

"No, I'm teaching in a method that anyone should be perfectly capable of grasping. It's not my problem is pipsqueak here is just a shitty airbender." Aang only glared.

"Let me take over."

Both Avatar's looked at her with surprise.

"You?" Sansetsu let out a bark of laughter. "No offense, hunny, but you have no idea what you're doing."

"I know better than you," Katara replied with a scoff. "I taught Aang waterbending, and as a waterbender yourself you should know that waterbending is as much about having a solid core as it is about footwork. Plus, I know how to teach Aang. You clearly haven't a clue."

Sansetsu looked between the pair, licking his top teeth before finally conceding. "Alright then. Fine. Go ahead." He walked over to the fountain, taking a seat and crossing one large leg over the other, leaning back onto the palm of his hands. "I can't wait to see this."

"Katara, are you sure?" Aang asked in a low voice.

"Oh, don't let him get to you," she replied, grabbing his shoulders and rotating him so that his back was facing the airbender. "That's your first lesson."

"Oh, great one," Sansetsu called. "Pro tip number one, I can't wait for the second. Let me guess, sticks and stones? Words can't hurt you, pipsqueak!"

Katara ignored him, keeping her focus on Aang. "We'll just go through some basic waterbending forms, ok?"

"Will that help?" Aang asked, feeling bad for doubting his former teacher. But Katara just smiled.

"We'll see, just copy my footwork."

She raised her hands, and after a slower start, Aang was soon mirroring her moves as flawless as he had always done, the pair rotating gracefully around each other as they went through all the basic forms. Aang immediately felt more at ease with the familiarity of it, and being able to watch the master waterbender at work. Grinning, Katara encouraged him to continue, and before long they have moved onto more difficult forms. From the sideline Sansetsu watched, his smirk sliding from his face, eyes narrowed and mouth pouting, and it wasn't until they moved to a quicker tempo that Aang realised that Katara had adjusted her movements from the beginning, her left leg becoming her primary as she worked the forms to suit her and he, so habitually in tune with the way that they moved together, had copied her with ease. Surprised he looked down at his feet, then back up at her.

"Hey, I'm doing it!"

Katara spun faster, and elated Aang copied her footwork, the feeling suddenly becoming natural to him when, at once, Katara changed tactic, sliding forward to his left and pushing hard against him. Swiftly Aang grabbed her, spinning her round, his hand cradling her back as he did so, dipping her to the ground, and all the while he remained perfectly centered. She grinned up at him, and Aang couldn't resist swooping and kissing her gently on the lips before pulling them upright.

"See? I told you," Katara said smugly, looking over at the dumbfounded past Avatar. "I know how to teach Aang."

"Well, sure, I mean I wasn't about to dance with him, was I?" Sansetsu grumbled, glowering at the pair. "And kissing is completely off the menu. You try any of that with me, pipsqueak, and you'll lose something."

"Can't you just admit when you're wrong?" Aang sighed.

"I wasn't wrong."

"How about you take care of the spiritual stuff," Katara suggested, "and I focus on his physical rehabilitation?"

"Oh, I'm sure you will," the past Avatar huffed, getting to his feet. "Fine, whatever. Whatever gets this sorry nightmare over and done with quickest is fine by me."

They could possibly be the most beautiful words that Aang had ever heard, and he felt relief wash over him when he realised that he no longer had to be kicked and poked by the larger Avatar. But the spiritual side? Something told Aang that that wasn't going to be nearly as fun as having Katara as a teacher once more.

"Tell you what, you've made some good progress today, so why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

Aang and Katara blinked at each other, before Aang put a finger in his ear, twisting and shaking his head. "Say what?"

"I said take a break! Don't make such a big fucking deal out of it, spirits it won't happen again."

"Well, we are running low on food," Katara sid.

"Yeh yeh, you go do your mortal things," Sansetsu said, and with a wave of his hand he was gone. Aang looked across at Katara.

"So that's what happens when you show him up," he said with a light laugh, holding out his hand for her. "Come on, let's check out the northern part of the city, we've not been up there for food yet and there's got to be some gardens we've not picked through."

"What I wouldn't give for some seal jerky," Katara hummed, already dead tired of berries and nuts.

It felt good, no more than good, to just relax for a while. The pair walked hand in hand along the marble pathways, for the briefest of times forgetful of their troubles and the monumental task that lay ahead of them. They pushed their way into the overgrown gardens, stopping at fountains to drink, Aang playfully splashing water at Katara only to be beaten at his own game soon after. It had been a long time since they had had a chance to just be a couple, being together, laughing, and given the amount of hits their relationship had taken over the past year and more it was much needed. In time they came across a part of the city that they had yet to salvage for food, and they set about gathering the offering in their pockets and bags, both sneaking a bite of the odd ripe fruit as they went.

"It's good to see you smiling again," Katara said as she stood by the rickety fence of one garden.

"I could say the same to you," Aang replied from above her, before dropping from the tree he had climbed, apples hooked in his arm, and taking her hand with the other. "I'm sorry that I've been difficult to deal with, I know how hard it's been on you. On everyone, to be honest."

"Shh, it's not your fault, Aang." She leaned up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek. "You know, I love that I have to reach up to do that now."

"What, pipsqueak not do it for you?" Aang asked playfully, and with a laugh she shoved him, before hooking her arm around his.

"We probably don't have long before we have to get back to reality," she said, looking up at the sky.

"Yeh, probably not," Aang conceded with a sigh. "But it's been a good day, and I've made actual progress. I promised you I would fix this, and I will." He looked down, gently brushing her hair back from her eyes. "And, hey, once it's all over, just think ... we can get back to our friends. Back to our old life."

"What, meetings?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Spirits, what I wouldn't give for a long boring meeting right about now," Aang replied, with a mock sigh. "Talk about some mines, maybe a bit of exports and imports? You know, the really good stuff."

Katara laughed, and arm in arm the pair of them turned back towards the house they were sleeping at, feeling somewhat careless for a time, right up until the point Aang winced mid conversation, holding his hand up to his head, and feeling momentarily confused.

"What is it?" Katara asked.

Aang paused, before with another intake of breath he grabbed his temple again.

"Aang? Wait ... it's not ..?"

"I don't know," Aang replied, turning on the spot, feeling his chest constricting. The pain wasn't anything close to what he experienced each time Tonrar was close, but it was familiar. A shifting beneath his skin, the hairs on the back of his neck and arms standing on end, a fog seeming to settle over his mind.

"Has he found us?" Katara asked, her voice hushed as she, too, looked about.

"Psst!"

The pair jumped, Aang holding his palms forward ready to attack, before they saw Sansetsu, standing by a doorway and gesturing to them, waving his hand insistently. Worried, the pair hurried towards him, before Sansetsu ushered them inside of the house, shutting the door sharply and reaching to pull the dusty old curtains across the wooden window frame, throwing them into darkness.

"What's going on?" Katara hissed. But Aang knew that something was coming. It wasn't Tonrar, it couldn't be, he'd be in much more agony if it was , but whatever it was was not going to be good news for them if it found them. Sansetsu stood near the window, pulling back the curtain slightly so that he could peak through, and Aang was quickly at his side, looking too.

"It's not Tonrar," he muttered, his voice low enough so that only Sansetsu and Katara could hear.

"Shh," Sansetsu hissed. For a moment they waited, each with baited breath, Aang frowning and pressing his hands against his temple as he braced himself against the stinging sensation, before a figure came into view, a bizarre sight in a city that had stood so deathly silent for so long. At first, Aang could only see an old man, his body crouched as he walked, a long grey beard that almost touched the ground. And then, his jaw dropping, Aang recognised the creased eyes, the wide grin that seemed to sit naturally upon his face, and the straw hat perched on his head.

"Wait-" Aang started, but Sansetsu's hand shot up, swiftly covering his mouth and forcing him into silence. The old man, so out of place in the city, seemed to pause as if he were listening, and Aang was convinced he would hear his heart beating, before mercifully he continued to walk. For a further minute they waited there, until the old man was out of sight and Aang felt the pain in his head fade back to nothing. Only then did Sansetsu take his hand from Aang's mouth, and the trio let out a long held breath.

"Who was that?" Katara asked, her voice still hushed yet high, looking with some irritation between the pair.

"I know him!" Aang replied. "The old man ... Tamas, I think. I met him when I ran from the Fire Nation-"

"You didn't meet him," Sansetsu interrupted, still keeping an eye out at the street. "You only met what was left of him."

"I don't understand ..."

"Wait, who's Tamas?" Katara said, holding out both her hands and shaking her head. "Catch me up, here."

"When I left the Fire Nation ... you know, that time I sort of escaped on Appa after Tonrar first took control of me?"

"I remember," Katara rolled her eyes.

"Well, as I was traveling me and Appa met this old man, called Tamas. He let me sleep in his hut and gave us some food, he was nice enough, although he had this human skull on his dining table that he called Podu which was pretty weird."

"Yeh, Tamas wasn't real, dumb ass," Sansetsu growled. "He _was_ Podu."

"What?"

"The skull? That was his skull. Podu is one of Tonrar's spirits, he was taken over by Tonrar thousands of years ago, long enough that even his soulless body finally died and decomposed. He just likes to carry the skull around with him."

Aang blinked, his ears ringing and his heart hammering. Tamas had been the very first person to tell him anything about Tonrar ...

"But what is he doing here?" Katara asked, oblivious to Aang's distress.

"Looking for you, I'd expect," Sansetsu replied. "It doesn't mean that Tonrar knows we're here, just that he's starting to reach out for Aang."

"So will there be more of them? More spirits?"

"Most likely."

"He was dead?"

Katara and Sansetsu looked back at Aang. He felt confused, shocked that the kind man that had offered him a place of rest when he was feeling lost and vulnerable had actually been yet another of Tonrar's tricks, and deeply upset by the entire thing.

"Eventually they all die," Sansetsu replied, his voice for once lacking it's usual vehemence as he looked back at the boy. "The bodies of the people that are captured and trapped in the spirit world, unless their souls are returned to them, will die. It takes a long time, somewhere between a few hundred years and a thousand, but by that point the spirit that used to share that body with it's human host has been trapped inside of the empty husk for so long that they usually find it impossible to return to their own forms."

"But ... what about the spirits that Tonrar controlled when we fought him back at the Southern Air Temple and home?" Katara asked, frowning with her obvious confusion. "They can't have been, well, real bodies, they disappeared and reappeared whenever Tonrar did."

"Most of the the spirits that Tonrar would have used will be ones that have been under his control for a very long time, and many of them will no longer have bodies any more. Under Tonrar's control they never become their own entities again. Podu is one of the very oldest, he existed even before my time, but he's not the only spirit you'll find under Tonrar's control that looks human."

"That's awful ..." Katara breathed.

"But, if that's the case, how can they bend?" Aang asked, looking up at the past Avatar and frowning. "We were attacked by firebenders, earthbenders ... airbenders ..."

"See, this is where things start to get strange," Sansetsu replied, checking back out of the window once more, before leaning back against the wall. "Perhaps it has something to do with being attached to a human body for so long, but eventually most of them do gain the ability to control the elements. Imagine, you're a spirit sharing a body with a human soul and then one day both soul and spirit are wrenched from that body ... the soul is imprisoned or devoured, and the spirit is then forced back into the empty body that it used to share with the human soul. Inside of that body, for whatever reason it is still capable of controlling the elements just like the body could. Take the spirit out too early, for example if the body is killed, and it loses that ability. But if the spirit is inside of the body long enough for it to pass naturally then the ability is retained."

"That's ..." Katara shook her head. "Well, it's incredible. Awful, of course, but still incredible ..."

"You're right about that," Sansetsu said with a short humorless laugh. "Tonrar has created the perfect army, frankly. Bending spirits that cannot be killed by any traditional bending means ... makes you wonder why he hasn't just stormed your world and be done with."

"Wait," Aang said quickly, "they can't be killed?"

"Not easily," Sanestsu replied with a shrug. "Why'd you ask?"

"Because I thought I had killed one," Aang replied, his voice hushed.

"Eh?"

"It was in the desert, after we had to run from the Southern Air Temple. It was the first time that Tonrar sent airbenders after me and one of them, well, I hit her with a fire blast and she ..." he trailed off, unable to finish. Katara placed a hand on his arm. She remembered the event, she remembered how out of control Aang had been, how he had attacked the spirit and the screams it had made when he had hit it. Sansetsu looked at Aang in silence for a moment, his brow creased, a shadow across his face.

"If you could kill it with a fire blast then it's physical body was still intact," he said finally, his voice thicker than usual. Aang's heart dropped and his eyes widened.

"Wait ... no ... that was a person? I killed a person?" His voice rose to almost a shout, eyes wide with the panicked realisation of what he had done, his head swimming. _It couldn't be ... Sansetsu had to be mistaken ..._

"No, you killed an empty husk," Sansetsu replied gruffly, frowning now. "That's all. It was a kindness and you put it out of it's misery. And you likely freed the spirit that was trapped inside of it, too, sometimes the shock of the body being killed, not dying naturally, is enough to tear it from Tonrar's control."

In his panic, Aang was reminded of the spirit, Gotami. She had visited him and come to Xing Ying whilst he had been in the spirit world, and he remembered now that she had wanted to thank him for freeing her. That Xing Ying had said that she looked like an airbender, that she has been unable to return to the spirit world.

"I think I did," he breathed, getting to his feet and starting to pace the room.

"How do you know?" Katara asked, glancing back at Sansetsu who shrugged.

"You remember I told you about the spirit that was at the Palace?" Aang continued, gesturing back to her. "She couldn't go back to the spirit world, she said it was too dangerous, and she couldn't speak to me directly so she spoke to Xing Ying." He stopped, tuning back to face them in the darkness. "She had wanted to thank me for freeing her. I had no idea what she meant, I assumed perhaps one of my past lives had helped her on some way, but maybe that's what she meant?"

"It makes sense," Sansetsu replied, shrugging again as if he weren't entirely bothered by this revelation. "A spirit just freed of Tonrar's control couldn't possible return to the spirit world, and it would be risky to approach you directly."

"Her name was Gotami," Aang continued, starting to pace again, now filled with relief that his violent act back in the desert had actually brought comfort to the spirit trapped. "Or I suppose her name had been Gotami. And the crazy thing is I came across her name again in one of the scrolls that I found in the Eastern Air Temple, she was some sort of spiritual guru. Wait, didn't you know-" he looked back to Sansetsu and froze. Katara, who had been watching Aang intently, looked across at the past Avatar too, bemused, and her breath caught in her throat at the expression on his face.

If looks could kill, Aang was sure he would be dead about now. Sansetsu's entire demeanor had taken a drastic turn, his face ghostly pale, his lip curled and his hands clenched as he glared at the younger Avatar. There was a look of pure hatred on his face, and whilst Aang was used to Sansetsu looking at him with little less than contempt, never before had he felt as though Sansetsu wanted to wipe his very existence from the face of the earth. Unsure, he backed up a step, glancing across at Katara who had already dropped a hand to her flask.

"Sansetsu?"

But Sansetsu disappeared, his body gone without warning, leaving an uneasy silence in his wake.


	13. New Friends

The Fire Nation had experienced it's fair share of turmoil and drama over the many thousands of years that it had survived, yet there had never been days quite as shocked and subdued as those following the electric storm that had destroyed many homes and lives. The damage was so widespread and extensive, indiscriminate in it's choice of victim, that as much as a quarter of the inhabitants of the capital found themselves homeless. It was a catastrophe of epic proportions, and one that the Firelord had never thought he would need to plan for. He had planned for famine, in the wake of the snow storms, he had even planned for ways to deal with the possible high rate of death that would come as a result, but finding space for over a thousand homeless civilians was far beyond anything he had prepared for. Any large building had been repurposed as a shelter for them, including the bank, the schools, and even the palace itself. Among those left homeless there were also many more left injured, some mildly others severely. By some miracle, the number of people that seemed to have lost their lives in the storm was relatively low, but everywhere you looked you could see eyes shadowed with grief, tear stained cheeks and shaking hands as they struggled to deal with their loss.

For the Firelord's companions, much of the time was consumed by providing both aid and supplies for those living in shelters. Suki, now that her strength had much returned, worked alongside Ty Lee and the other remaining Kyoshi warriors to bring food and medical supplies to those living in the shelters, a task which Xing Ying and Yee-Li assisted with with Appa and Yuva's assistance. The young bison, though still quite small, was able to carry the light Xing Ying plus a small amount of supplies without much trouble, and her playful and joyful presence was much needed by the children. Sokka, when he wasn't checking in on Toph, spent a lot of him time out in the City, helping to appraise damage and work to get as many homes back to function again.

Eventually it had been decided that watching over Toph was to be taken in shifts, when after two days she still remained unconscious. Zuko, for all his apologies, could not spare one of them all of the time to watch her, though he fully agreed that one of them should be there at all times should the earthbender awake. Nurse Sansa, who had taken over Toph's care once the Firelord had returned to the Palace, had said it was a small mercy that she remained unconscious. Though it would heal, her wound was to be a painful one, especially given it's location, and she were better to be offered even a few days rest before she had to contend with that pain. Sokka was mostly relieved that it meant she would not be trying to get out of bed too soon, or even to go out in the City and start helping, and Zuko was inclined to agree with him. However, her rest was to be short lived as, on the third day, she finally awoke.

It was to a world of fuzzy shapes and muffled sounds that Toph woke. She felt warmth around her, and realised dully that she was in a bed, her feet lifted from the earth, a heavy blanket encasing her and keeping her weighed down to the soft mattress beneath her. At first, she felt mostly comfort, strangely unstartled by the fact that she could not see around her, however with a deep intake of breath her comfort was soon pulled sharply from her, as a searing pain burned from her rib cage up to her shoulder blades, bringing her position sharply into focus. She waved her hands out, grabbing the blanket on top of her and throwing it roughly aside, ready to sit herself up and throw her feet over the edge of the bed, but the pain stopped her and, with a cry, she fell flat on her back again, panting.

"Hey!" she managed, between gasps. "Meathead? Sparky? Anybody?"

"Toph!"

She heard a voice, not one that she expected, and groaned, her hands now pressing against her abdomen where she felt rough fabric wrapped across her waist and, as her hands rose up, across her chest.

"Don't try to sit up," came the voice again, before. "Nurse Sansa!"

She heard the commotion nearby, smart footsteps on the stone floor, before a hand touched her shoulder. Instinctively Toph reached out and swiped it away.

"Don't touch me," she snapped. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital wing," the voice of Nurse Sansa explained. "You had an accident, do you remember?"

Toph scowled, her hands back on her bandage again, feeling how sore and tender her body was beneath it, and her mind raced. Accident? She couldn't remember, not for a moment, before ...

"The storm!" She tried to sit up again, crying out with pain as before. "Gah, yeh I bloody remember, what am I a fucking idiot?"

She heard the nurse sigh heavily, sharp footsteps now leading away from her.

"What happened?" Toph called out. This time the first voice replied, near to her.

"It was some sort of electrical storm," said Xing Ying, "it was horrid ... so many homes were on fire, and you were crushed under one of them. We found you and got you here, Kanto helped to heal your wound-"

"Kanto?" Toph interrupted, confused.

"Yeh, you asked for him, don't you remember?"

"Well, obviously I don't remember." Footsteps again.

"Here you need to take this, it will help with the pain."

She smelled something strong and acrid, an entirely unpleasant smell, but she took it none-the-less, her lips curling at the taste. There was so much noise around her, and she couldn't stand it, she needed to be able to see again, she needed to get her feet on the ground.

"Someone help me up," she said, trying to sit up again. "I can't see a damn thing."

"Toph, I don't think that's a good idea," Xing Ying offered, her voice shaking just a touch. Toph scoffed.

"I don't care if you think it's a good idea or not, I need to see."

"Miss Toph," Nurse Sansa again, "you were impaled, there is a large wound below your rib cage and you are incredibly lucky to be alive. You certainly will not be sitting, not unless you want to pull your stitches and start bleeding out all over my linens."

This shut Toph up, and her hand dropped to her bandage again. She could feel pain with each breath, a tightness across her chest, and she concluded that the nurse was not lying to her. She sighed heavily.

"Well. That sucks."

"Quite."

"Toph, it's ok," Xing Ying's voice came again, closer now as she felt the girl lean in over her. "Kanto did a really good job, even Nurse Sansa thought so."

"And why was that butchering Northerner allowed anywhere near me?" Toph snarled, her hands still pressed to her stomach and chest. "I'm not important enough to be seen by the real nurse?"

"There were a lot of people that needed help," Xing Ying replied. "And when we got you back to the Palace there was no one here. You were the one that asked for Kanto, you said that he was a healer."

"Right ..." Toph didn't remember the events of that night before she blacked out under the beam, but she did remember her conversation with Kanto and him revealing that he was a capable healer.

"Firelord Zuko was furious," Xing Ying continued. "Dekho released him on Sokka's request. But when he realised how serious it was he seemed to calm down. But Dekho's lost his position as lieutenant now-"

"What?" Toph scowled. "What an absolute git."

Xing Ying laughed nervously.

"And where's Kanto now?"

"He's locked in a room at the Palace. There was just too much going on to take him back to prison, so he's here until Firelord Zuko gets a chance to speak with him."

"And the benevolent king himself?"

"I imagine busy. Do you want me to try and find him for you?"

Toph considered it for a moment. It would perhaps bring her some comfort and a distraction to yell at Sparky for demoting one of his best men and locking away a healer they so clearly needed, but she realised that being in pain was exhausting.

"No, it's fine. I think I need a moment."

"Ok." She heard Xing Ying push her chair back, the legs sliding on the floor, and realised that the girl must have heard that as her asking for her to leave.

"Nah, I didn't mean that you had to leave," she said, almost hurriedly yet simultaneously surprised at her outburst. "I wanna know what's happened, what's going on out there. Is it bad?"

After a short moments hesitation she heard the sound of the chair creaking again as Xing Ying sat back down.

"It's ... not great," she said heavily. "As I said, a lot of homes caught fire and collapsed, a good portion of the Capital is now homeless and living in shelters. Plus ..." Xing Ying faltered, her voice cracking, and Toph frowned.

"Plus what?" she asked. Then, a panic in her chest. "Did someone we know get hurt?"

"Heishi," Xing Ying said, with a hushed voice. "He didn't make it out."

Her chest suddenly doubled in weight and she felt the breath forced out of it. She had not considered the man a friend, not strictly, but he had been a good worker, a hard worker, and someone she could trust.

"How is Dekho handling it?" she asked. A longer silence followed as Xing Ying fought to find the words.

"He's lost his job, and his friend," she said finally. "He's not doing great."

 _A job he lost getting me help_ , Toph thought, though she kept the thought to herself.

"Yee-Li is looking after him as best she can," Xing Ying continued. "But there's just so much to do we can't spare anyone for long right now ... even Suki is out there most days."

"And the storm? Has the snowing stopped?"

"Well, the snow's stopped but we've got another problem."

"Great," Toph sighed. "Enlighten me, what's going on now?"

"It's the sky ..." Xing Ying's voice was soft with wonder and, unmistakably, fear. Toph frowned, angling her head down. "I've never seen anything like it ... It's almost like there's a dark red river flowing above us, you can see the air itself moving, and the clouds are stretched and pulled along with it."

"But what does that mean?" Toph asked, though deep down she felt she already knew.

"It's flowing South," Xing Ying responded immediately. "Towards the South Pole, towards the tear between our world and the spirit world, where Aang-" her voice caught, and she audibly swallowed. "I think we all know what it means."

Toph lay in silence, conscious of the sound of her heart hammering.

On Toph's request, Xing Ying had left early that night with the promise that she would not tell anyone else that she had woken up. It was a promise that Xing Ying had made doubtfully, but Toph didn't want to speak to the Firelord just yet. She didn't even want to speak to Sokka, to hear him sound worried about her. She knew that they would be upset when they found out, after all Nurse Sansa had made it clear that she would be speaking to the Firelord the following morning, but she needed silence. Space. The pain relief that the nurse offered her worked well, and though she was still in pain she still felt lucid enough to think over what Xing Ying had told her, and what she had already learned from Aang and Hakoda about the literal end of the world. In truth, she hated being here. She hated being in the Fire Nation, she certainly hated being in this bed, and the urge to force her way to the South Pole, into the spirit world itself, and find Aang and Katara was strong. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in either of them to complete their task, but she had a great deal more faith in herself. She could do nothing here.

The infirmary was quiet that night, the lights off and though Toph could not see it, an orange glow cast across her face, shimmering as the sky outside followed it's gentle path South. She rest her hand on her side, over the stitches she could just feel beneath her bandages. Her memory of the night she was injured had slowly returned to her, and she remembered asking for Kanto. She frowned, her fingers tracing the line of stitches. He had obviously saved her, but why would he do it? After a few minutes, listening to the slow drip coming from one of the taps, her hands clenched against her covers and she took a deep breath. Stitches be damned, she couldn't lie here anymore.

She grit her teeth, gripping the covers tight and she pushed herself up into a sitting position, the pain in her side exploding and it was all she could do not to cry out, but she was an earthbender, and a metalbender to boot, and no earthbender alive hadn't accidentally slammed their fist into rock whilst training, or misjudged and broken a toe whilst sparring, and she was no stranger to physical pain. Once in a sitting position she panted heavily, her hand now reaching to her stitches which, to her relief, still seemed intact. There was no smell of iron, or a warm dampness at her fingers tips. Her wound had healed. She took two deep breaths, before twisting and swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, her toes touching cold stone. The relief she felt was instant, the blurry world around her becoming clear yet again, and she grinned, flexing her toes and rubbing them on the ground with glee. One final check on her stitches and she dropped down to the floor, her feet now flat on the ground.

From what she could tell, there was no one awake nearby, and even the hallways outside seemed clear. With sick people across the entire capital, and so few nurses spread between them, she presumed that it was not possible for someone to be here the entire night, not now that she was awake and doing well. It worked to her advantage. Listening intently, she made her way swiftly across the room to the door of the infirmary, wincing slightly at the fresh pain that came with walking, one hand pressed against her side. She wasn't sure where she needed to go, the person she wanted to speak to could be literally anywhere within the palace. But she remembered that there had been a time that Aang himself had been locked in a room at the palace and, though she had not been there when it had happened, she knew from following conversations roughly where that room had been. It wasn't definite, but it was a place to start. With another deep breath and a double check that there was no one outside waiting for her, she opened the door and smartly stepped out into the hallway.

There were still plenty of people walking around the palace this late at night, making her progress slow. The palace itself offered plenty of hallways and rooms that she could swiftly slip into when she heard and felt somebody coming. At one point the Firelord himself had walked by, oblivious to her hiding in the corridor he had just passed, two of his guards in tow, and she mused at how fast his heart beat, how much stress the young man was obviously under, before she pushed on. Eventually she found herself in one of the lower levels of the palace where a series of small, locked rooms could be found. It was here that the Firelord had kept Aang, and where kings before him had no doubt locked away others that had disagreed with them, and to her quick relief she registered the slow heartbeat coming from one of the rooms, the sound of scrapping as they ruefully scratched a finger nail against the stone wall of their room.

"Firelord's not gonna be happy if you damage his walls, you know."

The scrapping stopped, and in an instant she heard a pair of palms hitting the door.

"Toph?"

"The one and only."

"Wh-what are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in the infirmary?"

"Shouldn't you still be in prison?"

The man on the other side of the door fell silent for a moment, as if he was trying to work out what he ought to say.

"Uh, do you remember anything? Did they say why I'm out of prison or ..."

"Yes and yes," Toph replied. She stood by the door now, one hand reaching out to press against it as she steadied herself, the other still on her side. "That's why I'm here, actually. To say thank you."

Kanto fell silent yet again. For a moment she thought he wasn't going to say anything back, and she felt her face heat up with embarrassment and anger, before she heard him lean against the door.

"You got out of bed, just after being impaled on a wooden beam by the way, walked across the entire palace, just to say thank you?"

Toph took her hand sharply away from the door, scowling. "Well perhaps I shouldn't have bothered then," she snapped.

"No," Kanto replied quickly, his voice rising just a fraction. "It's just, you've got to be in a lot of pain, it could have waited."

It was Toph's turn to fall silent now, and with sudden clarity as if she had been sleep walking the entire way here, she became acutely aware of where she was standing, how cold it was in this part of the palace, and the pain in her side. Why had she come here? She heard Kanto pressing a palm against the door again.

"Hey? You alright?"

"I'm fine," Toph replied, her voice quiet. "Why did you do it? Why'd you help me?"

"What a stupid question to ask," Kanto replied, reproachful and taking her by surprise. "Why wouldn't I? I've already told you, all of you, I'm not some kind of monster. I made a mistake, I know that, but I want to help. As for why I helped you? You were going to die, and I could do something about that."

"I'm sorry that they locked you back up again after."

"It's fine, at least this is a little nicer than the prison. And besides, maybe the Firelord will believe me now, it looks like you guys need all the help you can get about now."

"It's crazy that you're the only person making sense round here." She sighed, trying to appear calm, but her heart was beating fast in her chest and she felt decidedly unsettled, ridiculous even.

"Until recently I wasn't," Kanto said, with a sudden laugh. "But then the only other sane person here decided to go for a walk in the dark after being impaled a few nights previous."

"The dark doesn't bother me. And besides, it doesn't hurt that bad, I've had headaches worse."

"Ok, come back to me on that when you pull your stitches out," Kanto replied, seriously. "You need to be resting."

"I'm just standing here."

"Right."

A silence followed, and Toph continued to frown, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. She could sense Kanto's hand still pressed against his side of the door, her own hand above his on hers, and despite the metal between them it only offered to amplify her senses, allowing her to keenly hear Kanto's heart beating to the same tempo as hers. Sometimes it was a curse, being able to feel most every emotion in the people around her. She learned early what a heartbeat in love sounded like, being around Aang and Katara was enough to make her feel queasy, as happy as she was for them, but it took a long time for the souring of Sokka's heartbeat to stop causing her pain. She'd never tell anyone, but her crush on him had grown a little beyond that sometime after the war, before she met Satoru, and though she knew he loved her it was nothing compared to how he felt around Suki. Somehow, people still tried to lie around her, forgetting she'd know, and although it offered power, knowing that someone was lying to you wasn't a feeling she'd like to share with anybody. Tonight, she wasn't sure that sensing Kanto's feelings was a blessing or a curse. She could try to convince herself that the man was just happy that someone was speaking to him, that someone was on his side, but she knew it was more than that. She'd no intent to fall for anybody, not after Satoru, but it seemed her soul had other ideas.

"Hey ... Toph?"

Kanto's soft voice came again, and she could only sigh heavily. "Yeh?"

"I-"

"Toph?"

She snatched her hand away from the door, a voice interrupting Kanto and she realised with dismay that she had focused so much on feeling Kanto through the door that she had not heard the footsteps coming up behind them. Zuko stood at the end of the hallway, his expression impossible to read, but Toph could feel it, the mix of disappointment, anger, and ... pity. That last one hurt her, and she immediately felt her shoulders square, her brow scowling as she made to defend herself.

"You should be in bed," Zuko said, his voice calmer than it could have been. "When did you wake up?"

"A few hours ago," Toph replied shortly.

"And Xing Ying didn't think to tell me?" Zuko asked, his fingers going to the ridge of his nose. "You guys know this is my palace, right?"

"Oh don't get angry at her, I asked her not to tell you."

"Why?"

Toph barked with laughter, crossing her hands across her chest. "You're kidding, right? You think I need you yelling at me? I hear you fired Dekho, grand move there, Sparky. Fire the guy who released the guy who saved my life? The guy who's still in prison I see? You know, I don't need your damn judgement right now, I don't need you telling me what to do!"

She realised only after that she had yelled these words at him, her chest heaving, her hands shaking with anger. She expected Zuko to yell back, his face contort in anger as flames licked at his fists, but instead he looked down to the ground, swallowing as his hands shook.

"I know," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry, Toph."

She took a deep breath, eyes widening as her body fell slack, surprised by his pain and vulnerability. But she was surprised more when he reached into the deep pocket of his robes and pulled out a heavy ring of keys, walking past her and to the door of Kanto's room. She said nothing as the key was inserted, Kanto stepping away from the door as it opened.

"You have a new room in the main part of the Palace," Zuko said, to a surprised Kanto. "There will be guards posted outside your room at all times, and who will accompany you about the Palace, and you will be expected first thing tomorrow morning in the Throne Room. You are not free to roam the halls, and you stay in your room unless instructed otherwise, but you can join us for meals if you would like to, do you understand?"

Kanto nodded. "I do."

"Good." Zuko stepped back, gesturing for Kanto to leave the room. The Northern man looked back at Toph as he did, who stood with a light frown on her face, one hand pressed against her side, before he walked down the corridor ahead of Zuko.

"Now please go rest," Zuko muttered, low enough that Kanto couldn't hear, before following after him. She waited until the two men had disappeared around the corner before shaking her head and trudging back towards her bed.


	14. Leaving the City

When Aang and Katara finally returned to their small, temporary home, it was in lingering silence, Aang staring blankly ahead of him whilst Katara watched him with concern. She knew what was running through his mind, she knew him well enough to know that he was already blaming and berating himself, that he would be feeling souly responsible for the sudden change in Avatar Sansetsu. She didn't need to know the entire story, and she supposed Aang didn't either, there were enough clues for her to piece it together. Gotami had meant something to Sansetsu and, despite the huge improvements Aang had made in his training the last few weeks, Sansetsu still held contempt for him. She still couldn't work out what it was about Aang that Sansetsu took such offense to, but to learn that Aang had been the one to free the spirit from Gotami's body was torturous for him.

Aang, still in silence, pulled his top over his head, letting it drop to the ground as he neared the ladder. His back was burned and peeling, the scar in the center of his back a dark ugly pink, yellow bruising still visible up his right side, his appearance making her wince. But she stood back by the door as he climbed the ladder in silence, letting him go and find the solitude he needed.

With a small sigh, she pulled back the blinds gently, peering out at the city outside. It wasn't dark yet, but in a matter of minutes it would be, and Sansetsu had yet to make an appearance since he had vanished in front of him. She was certain he was still around. Sansetsu may not behave much like an airbender otherwise, but he was still an airbender, and she knew well of their instinct to take flight in difficult situations. She wasn't sure when he'd be back, but with the fate of the world at stake she had to have faith that he would be.

In silence she removed her clothing, pulling on her night dress and laying onto the furs, hand on her stomach as she looked up at the ceiling, her chest feeling heavy. Eventually the sound of sloshing water stopped, and she saw Aang's feet hit the ladder, climbing down. Seemingly distracted he stood there for a moment, his eyes lingering on the front door, and she sat herself up.

"Aang?"

He started, as if he hadn't quite realised that she was sitting there, looking back at her with hazy eyes.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened," she continued.

"But I do," Aang replied, his voice thick with emotion. He shook his head, stepping away from the ladder and pacing to the center of the room. "I know what you're going to say, Katara, and I get it. I had no control, and I'm working at that, and if what Sansetsu said is true then what I ... what I did was a kindness to the spirit."

"So, what's holding you back from forgiving yourself?"

Aang stopped, turning to face her, his eyes ablaze with emotion. "What if it was you?" he said. "What if it was your body, your spirit ... I'd know, deep down, that it was the right thing, to end the suffering. But I'd hate the one who did it, Katara. I'd hate them."

She looked down at her hands. She didn't know how to respond, because he was right, because if the tides were turned then she would hate them too.

"I don't know how to make this right," Aang continued, looking back towards the door. "How can I even begin to apologise for something like this? And what if I can't? What if Sansetsu doesn't come back?"

"He'll come back," Katara replied. "But if he doesn't then we carry on. It'll be harder, but look how much progress you've already made. We'll manage because we have to."

He looked back at her, his expression softening.

"There's nothing more we can do tonight," she continued. "Come on, I need to fit a healing session in before we get some sleep."

Fifteen minutes later, the pay lay down on the furs, Aang with his arms wrapped tight around Katara, his face buried in her hair. She was surprised to hear his slow breathing so soon after they lay down, fully expecting him to struggle to sleep that night, but the healing sessions always tired him out, and she was relieved for it. But for her, it wasn't so simple ... She couldn't get the look on Sansetsu's face out of her head. What exactly was it that made the past Avatar so qualified to teach Aang how to face Tonrar? They knew, now, that he had lost someone that he cared about to the spirit, was it possible that the same thing had happened to Sansetsu as had happened to Aang? She remembered clearly that his name had been struck from the Air Nation census, his date of death not even catalogued, but Sansetsu was young. He could be no more than a few years older than Aang, which meant that he had died young, too. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, willing for her thoughts to slow so that she could sleep. She could understand why Aang might now struggle to ask Sansetsu about his past, but she had to. She had to understand.

The next morning, Aang woke first, his mind initially a pleasant fog as the smell of Katara's hair filled his nose, and her warmth wrapped around his body. But even as he rolled and pulled her closer to him, the memories of the day before came back to him, and it felt like a fist clenching his heart. He opened his eyes, looking up to see the light rays of the sunshine outside forcing their way through the blinds. He wasn't sure if Sansetsu would return, and if he did he wasn't sure how the old Avatar would act around him now, but hiding in the house was not going to solve his problems. He looked down at Katara, who slept with a slight frown on her brow, her fists gripping her pillow, hair knotted as if she had slept fitfully that night, and he decided it would be kinder to let her sleep. Gently he pulled his arm from underneath her, before quickly grabbing his shirt, pulling it over his head and, with a deep breath, stepping out of the door.

The sun was high and bright in the sky, and he realised that day must have dawned some time previous, though it was always difficult to tell. That in itself was alarming, as Sansetsu had never let him sleep in up until now. He looked around the courtyard, sure to check the roofs of the buildings around him, but there was no Avatar in sight. His heart sunk further. In any other circumstance he would have just accepted that Sansetsu needed space, but the truth was that they no longer had time on their side ... with each day he stayed in the city, each day he put off facing Tonrar, the end of their world drew closer. And now that they had seen one of Tonrar's spirits in the city, it was growing ever more urgent that he finish his training and learn to master the Avatar State again. Frustrated, and concerned, he walked to the fountain in the courtyard, upon which a long stick he used for training leaned. He couldn't wait for Sansetsu to decide to show up.

In the hour that followed he ran through his usual drills, trying hard to distract himself from the panicked thought that ran through his mind with each swing of the stick. He had worked hard over the last several weeks, and whilst his movements had grown smoother and more precise over time, today they were harder and harsher than they needed to be, sweat beading on his forehead, a deep frown on his face. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the memories of the day in the desert from his mind, the anger that had run deep in his veins as he blasted the female airbender that stood against him ... her inhumane howl as her body had broken down ... his determination to kill the other spirit that stood with her ... his upper lip curled into a snarl as he swung the stick across his shoulders. _You had to do it_. There, that voice again. That voice so like his, yet so different. _You had to kill it. It felt good, didn't it? It felt right?_ His chest heaved as he stepped forward to his left, his body creating a perfect arc. _It would have been better to kill all of them. They're almost dead already._ Then, as he turned and swung the stick hard over his head, his reflexes were put sharply to the test as he stopped dead, coming face to face with Avatar Sansetsu, who watched him with a cold expression. For a second he held the stick there, merely inches from Sansetsu's temple, his chest heaving and his eyes ablaze before he relaxed, taking a step back.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," he breathed, dropping the stick to the ground.

"You shouldn't be so easy to sneak up on," Sansetsu replied smartly, his expression still cool as he looked down at the younger Avatar. For a moment they stood in silence, Aang regaining his composure yet unsure what he could say to Sansetsu, whether there was anything he could say to repair the damage that he had done.

"Sansetsu, I-"

"I don't want to hear a damn word out of you," Sansetsu interrupted, "unless it's _'yes sir, I am a dumbass, sir'_ because frankly your form is for shit."

Aang's nostrils flared, his mouth twitching, but before he could say another word Sansetsu turned away from him and back towards the center of the courtyard.

"We've been at this for weeks now, _Avatar_ Aang," Sansetsu called, his voice mocking and derisive, "and if you carry on making progress at the rate you are there is no chance you're going to be ready to face Tonrar before the world ends."

Even as Aang opened his mouth to retort, scowling, he reminded himself that Sansetsu's words were coming from a place of anger. The hatred on the past Avatar's face was clear for the world to see, and he supposed that he may have been no different if he had learned what Sansetsu had the day before, but after all of the mocking and bullying he had had to take from him over the last several weeks he was finding it hard to let it slide. Sansetsu seemed to see his inner turmoil, and the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.

"You're just going to stand there?" he asked. "What, you done training for the day?"

Aang took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves and quieten the angry beast inside of himself, coiled and ready to attack. He walked towards Sansetsu, keeping his head held high.

"You're angry," he said, softly. "I understand that-"

"Angry?" Sansetsu threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Please, don't flatter yourself as to think anything you could say or do would be worthy of a rise from me."

Aang bit on his tongue, trying to maintain his cool.

"But, you know what, let's keep wasting time?" Sansetsu continued. "Let's just accept there's no shitting way that you're ever going to be ready to face Tonrar. I mean, what difference does it make to me, after all?" He held his arms out either side of himself. "I'm already dead."

But the beast inside of Aang could take no more. The spirit inside so horribly scarred by Tonrar could take no more. He could take no more. He felt the rage bubble up in his chest, yet his mind remained sharp and his movements fluid as, in the blink of an eye, he stepped hard down on his left leg, hands forming fists and pulling into his center. The marble beneath Sansetsu's feet rose and swell, knocking him off balance before the little that remained of the sharp vegetation around him reached out and wrapped themselves round his limbs and chest, pulling tight.

"Aang!"

Chest heaving Aang looked back to see Katara standing in the doorway of the house, eyes wide and face aghast, but he had no time to feel guilty and he turned back to face Sansetsu only to see that he had disappeared, the branches collapsing in on themselves. It was then that time seemed to slow, power surging through his limbs, attuned to the very air around him, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he felt the static energy behind him. He looked round, just in time to see Sansetsu, stick in hand, swinging right at him. He twisted his heel in the stone, rotating him around sharply as he reached out to grab the stick in both hands, face to face with an angry growling Avatar. Sansetsu's grey eyes glared into his, and Aang quickly realised that his own light frame was no match for Sansetsu's strength, feeling his arms shake and buckle as the stick threatened to come down onto his face. He stepped smartly to his left side, the momentum pulling Sansetsu down with him. He let fire lick his heals, kicking the sparks into the past Avatar's face, who jumped back with a snarl, wrenching the stick from Aang's grasp.

"Stop!"

But Katara's yell went unnoticed. Aang pulled up more rock, only to find that Sansetsu had vanished yet again. He sensed once more the electricity on his back, knowing that Sansetsu was trying for another sneak attack. He dropped the rock to the ground, swinging and firing a huge blast of air behind him. With a yell, Sansetsu was picked up and thrown across the courtyard, colliding heavily with one of the tall marble arches that ringed the battleground, the stone collapsing onto him with a huge cloud of dust.

For a moment, silence fell, Aang breathing heavily as he glared at the carnage, Katara standing with her hands to her gaping mouth. Coughing came from the collection of rubble, chunks of marble pushed aside as Sansetsu pulled himself out from the wreckage, his dark gaze meeting Aang's before he spat to the side. But Aang was already approaching, flames igniting his fists as he stalked.

"You still think I'm not ready?" he snarled. "You still think I'm no good?"

Sansetsu glared up at him, wiping his mouth.

"Who are you anyway?" Aang continued. "No one remembers you, your name is crossed out of the Air Nation census. What good were you? What good are you now?"

Sansetsu said nothing, his lower lids twitching and his mouth curling into a grimace. Above him Aang stood, eyes burning, flames blazing up his arms, wind picking up around them and the very air seeming to cool. If Aang could see himself, if he had stepped out of his body in that very moment, he would have shrunk back in fear, recognising the monster that had haunted his dreams and prowled in the deepest part of his soul. For Sansetsu, realisation seemed to hit him, and his face fell slack, his gaze falling sharply on the woman standing behind them, her eyes wide with both terror and disbelief.

"You're gonna kill us all, kid," Sansetsu said coolly, looking back up at the Avatar. Aang faltered for a moment before, with a dry smile, he replied.

"I thought you were already dead."

Sansetsu's face twitched before he vanished one final last time, leaving Aang staring at the rubble he left behind.

"Aang ..."

He heard Katara coming up behind him, her voice unsure, and he shut his eyes tightly, the wind and flames dropping.

"Wh-"

"I know," he interrupted sharply, looking away from the rubble and avoiding her gaze. "I know, just ... don't."

But Katara seemed to swell with fury, storming forward and stopping in front of him.

"Don't?" she asked incredulously. "Are you being serious? He was angry! He was acting out! Why would you ... why would you attack him?"

But he continued to avoid her glare, his eyes averted sourly to the courtyard, unable to find the words to respond. He was filled with a weird mix of guilt and relief; a part of him felt justified for his reaction, like this lashing out at Sansetsu was long overdue. Yet, another part of him, perhaps the more honourable part of him, was disgusted at how he had acted. After all, the chances of Sansetsu coming back were slim, the chances of him continuing to teach him even slimmer.

"I don't need him," he mumbled, more to himself than to Katara. She scoffed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

"Well, I hope you're right about that," she said, her voice shaking with anger. "Because to me it looks very much like you completely lost control again, and a whole lot of people I care about are relying on us."

Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heal, stalking back to the house. Aang ground his teeth together, watching her go, and in his sour mood he almost didn't notice the rain drops start to fall from the sky, the first of them since they had arrived in the desert. He glanced up, grumbling, before walking back to where he had dropped his stick, grabbing it and continuing the forms he had been practicing before Sansetsu had interrupted him.

The rain continued for the remainder of the day, Aang doggedly continuing to train in an effort to avoid Katara for as long as possible. As the sky grew darker, he found he felt more guilt than relief, and though he tried hard not to think about what had happened and what he had said, it was impossible not to. Eventually his shoulders had slumped, and he dropped the stick to the ground again, looking miserably around at the rooftops of the buildings around them, half hoping that maybe he would see Sansetsu standing there. He'd been an idiot, like he always was. But it had felt so freeing at the time, so necessary, to let the beast inside him break free.

When he opened the door to the house it was to find that Katara lay with her back to him, the blanket pulled up over her head.

"Katara?"

She didn't respond, though he was certain that she was still awake. He shut the door glumly, bending the water from his clothes and into the sink. He considered trying to speak with her, but he knew that the anger was still there, waiting for the right moment to break free once more, and he reasoned that perhaps this was something he was better to sleep on. He lay down beside her, a flick of the wrist dousing the lamp on the wall, staring up at the dark ceiling as his thoughts flowed. _You did what you had to_ , that voice like his yet not quite spoke, _you're the Avatar now, not him._

He slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning as in his dreams he stood on a rocky precipice, arms wide and arms aglow with the power of the Avatar Spirit, watching the world around him turn to a thick red haze. His body pulsed with pure energy, his head full of a rage that couldn't be paralleled. Except this time it wasn't Katara stood before him, it wasn't her body that he would find, but Sansetsu, the man's face that of sadness as his body disintegrated and joined the mist.

 _Wake up_ , he said, holding a hand forward. _Wake up. Wake up._

"Wake up!"

He jolted awake, instinct igniting flames on his fists as she sat up, ready to attack. However, in the gloom, he recognised the face of Sansetsu, and for a moment he wondered if he was still dreaming.

"Sansetsu?" he asked groggily. Katara sat up at his side.

"What's going on?"

Sansetsu put a finger to his lips, hushing them. After attacking the past Avatar the day before, Aang was not so ready to drop his guard, but Sansetsu seemed to ignore both of them for a moment, heading towards the window and peering through the blinds. The low white glow on his face made it clear that it was still dark out.

"We've got to go," Sansetsu said in a low voice, looking back at them.

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked, rubbing her eyes roughly.

"Now, we've gotta go."

But Aang found himself feeling very uncomfortable, and not the least bit suspicious of the situation, frowning.

"It's dark out," he said. "We're not going anywhere."

Sansetsu shut his eyes, breathing heavily through his nose for a moment, before turning stormy eyes back to him.

"Day time or night time, we have to get out of here. There are about thirty spirits out there, all looking for you."

Aang's face paled, and Katara looked sharply between the pair of them.

"How did they find us?" she asked, her voice hushed. Aang climbed to his feet, pushing past Sansetsu and peering out through the blinds. He could see Tonrar's stolen souls wandering as aimlessly as ever yet, mercifully, no sign of a spirit just yet.

"They haven't," Sansetsu replied, "not yet. But there's way too many of them here for it to be a coincidence. Either Tonrar has a good idea that you're here, or he's putting out his webs to see what he can catch."

"We can't go out there," Aang reiterated, looking up at Sansetsu. "You said that Katara couldn't be out there after dark."

"I know that I said. But if you stay here it's only a matter of time before the spirits find you, and you'll both be dragged off to Tonrar. Or worse."

Aang looked back at Katara, who still sat on the bed, biting her lower lip.

"We can't risk that," she said, her voice hushed. "We're close to the exit, what if we just run for it?"

"No," Aang said sharply, shaking his head. "No, absolutely not. I am not risking your life like that."

Sansetsu stood with a frown on his face, a hand covering his mouth as if in thought.

"What?" Aang demanded.

"We could blind-fold her," he replied. "Blind-fold her and run when the coast is clear."

"Will that work?"

"I don't know, but I do know that so long as you don't look outside at night your safe, so it stands to reason."

Aang shook his head again, feeling sick. He was not willing to risk it, spirits or no spirits, inside here Katara was safe. He could not lose her, not out there, not like that.

"Aang?" He looked over at her. "We've got no other choice, if Tonrar catches us now it's all over, you know that."

"Well whatever you're doing you better be damn quick about it," Sansetsu hissed. "Another few minutes and they'll be right on top of us, guarantee it."

Aang covered his eyes, pressing his fingers into the sockets, hoping that the world would just slow down for once, give him time to think, but then the sound of a howl came to them, a low long note that sounded much unlike anything else they had heard in the desert.

"Ok", he groaned. He stormed across the room, grabbing his tunic from the ground and pulling it over his head, and grabbing Katara's hip flask, tying it about his own waist. Katara was quick to grab her own clothing, Sansetsu turning his back whilst she dressed, shouldering the pack that contained the herbs she had collected whilst in the city. Aang grabbed the sash he had worn and held it up to Katara's face.

"Wear this," he said. "Do not take it off, do you understand? Not until I tell you it's safe."

She nodded, and Aang pulled it tightly around her eyes, triple knotting just to be sure that it would not slip.

"Can you see anything?"

"No, no I'm good."

Sansetsu was back at the blinds, looking into the courtyard outside, before glancing back at Aang and nodding. Aang took Katara's hand, and she held his arm with her other, letting him guide her.

"Ok, follow me, let's go."

Pulling Katara out onto the dark courtyard outside felt so painfully wrong to Aang that he had to fight the urge to drag her back inside. The sky was a dark sickly purple, the moon casting an eerie white light over the blank faced souls that paced circles around the courtyard, some of them just a few feet away from where they stood. Through them it was hard to see much else, and Aang realised with a stab to the chest that he may have to rely mostly on Sansetsu now, the man who he had attacked just hours previously, to get them out of here alive. He looked back to the past Avatar, who waved for him to follow, keeping close to the ground. Katara gripped his arm tight, stumbling slightly as she walked, and he squeezed her hand as tight as he dared. In silence they hurried as fast as they dared around the buildings and towards the wide open entrance to the city, however, as they turned the last corner, Sansetsu held out his arm, pulling them to a halt.

"Shit," he hissed under his breath. "Shit shit shit shit ..."

"What?" Aang whispered, huddling close. It was then that he saw them, two dark spirits, their bodies large and hunched, their red eyes almost alight with smoke, seeming to be standing guard at the entrance.

"They must know you're here," Sansetsu continued, his eyes roving across the rooftops surrounding them.

"Aang-"

"It's ok," Aang said to Katara, also looking up at the rooftops. "It's fine, we'll find another way."

"Aang." He and Sansetsu both looked back, to see Katara with a hand clutched to her chest, the other digging fingernails into Aang's arm. "I can't ..." she started to breath heavily. "I can't ... breath ..."

Panic swiftly set in, and he grabbed her arms. "Katara!" he breathed. "It's ok, it's fine, just relax."

"We've got to get her out of here," Sansetsu said, his voice low and urgent. "Right now, they've seen her!"

Aang looked back behind him to see that the haunted souls of the courtyard seemed to have slowed, their heads turning to face them, for the first time seeming aware of what was going on around them. Katara began to hyperventilate, grabbing for him.

"What's ... happening ... Aang, I can't ..."

Feeling his blood heat, adrenaline surging, Aang dropped her hand, instead sweeping her up bridal style and holding him to his chest, looking back the way they had come and to the rooftops. He didn't wait for Sansetsu's say so, and instead took off, the pain in his leg all but forgotten as he took a running leap onto one of the archways, kicking off and, with a blast of air, landing on top of the buildings. He knew that he was risking the spirits spotting him, but with Katara starting to panic, the only thing that mattered was getting her out of this city as soon as possible. Sansetsu was quick at his side, swearing under his breath, but not saying a word on Aang's plan as they jumped to the next building. It was then that Aang spotted another spirit, sliding to a halt before pressing himself against a chimney, looking down at the great dark beast as it sauntered below them. As soon as it passed Aang took off once more.

"Hold on, Katara," he breathed. "Just hold on."

With one final leap he landed on the walls of the city, looking down over the dark expanse of desert, far down below them, and without the shine of the moon to illuminate them now even Aang found himself feeling a little vertigo. He looked back to see the souls of the city starting to swarm, their mouths open as they made sickening gasping sounds as if trying to scream out to him, and he pulled Katara close. He looked over at Sansetsu, who stood with a solemn look across his face as he looked into the darkness below, his right foot wavering over the edge as, his eyes flashing meaningfully, he looked back at him. For the first time he felt he understood. He understood that there was a connection between this city and the past Avatar, something so strong that he had never had the heart or strength to leave it in all the hundreds of years he had been there.

"Hold on," he said once more to Katara before, taking a deep breath, he jumped.

He pulled the air up beneath him, but they still made a hard painful collision with the sand below, and he grunted at the pain that spread up his leg. Katara pushed away from him, falling onto her hands and knees as she gasped for air, reaching up and pulling the blind-fold from her eyes before he could stop her.

"Katara!" he hurried to her side, but she held him at arms length, eyes shut as she took deep ragged breaths.

"I'm ... ok," she managed. "What ... was that?"

Aang looked over at Sansetsu, just visible in the gloom, and the past Avatar shook his head roughly.

"There's no time to explain now, they could still find us. We have to go, now."

"Can you walk?" Aang asked Katara, and she nodded, before letting him pull her to her feet, hooked his arm around her waist to steady her, before following after Sansetsu.

In silence the threesome walked, their feet dragging and slipping on the surface of the desert below, their path illuminated by a fluttering heartbeat of fire in Aang's palm. Sansetsu, though he could have no doubt vanished and left his two mortal companions to walk the desert alone, remained with them. Aang kept a tight hold on Katara's hand, refusing to lose contact with her since the had landed in the desert, and she dragged slightly behind him, her eyes somewhat glazed over and she struggled to understand what had just happened to them, and what had happened to her.

As soon as they had set off, Sansetsu had told them that under no circumstances were they to make a sound until he said so, permitting Aang to light only the smallest fire before them. If Katara had wanted to protest, she had kept quiet.

They had been walking for what had to be close to two hours before anyone spoke. Aang and Katara were exhausted, they had not slept long before being awoken, and the adrenaline had swiftly subsided. They had no food and no water to hand, and Aang could not fight back the worry as to what they were going to do trapped in the desert with no supplies. The desert was wide, and it had taken them two days to reach the city, it could be just as long again before they found their way out. And now, it was possible, that Tonrar was after them, after many months of staying hidden, he could be spreading his search out via his network of spirits to find them. Aang hoped that the number of spirits under his control was small enough that, the further away they got from the city, the harder it would be for him to find them. But the spirit world, and the level of control Tonrar actually had, was still much a mystery to him. It could be that they were now forever going to be on the run, until Aang was ready, until he could face him. He felt Katara slip, her hand wrenching against his, and he stopped, looking back. Grumbling incoherently she got back to her feet.

"Sansetsu?" Aang asked, his voice quiet and unsure.

The large Avatar stopped, looking back over his shoulder at them.

"We can't stop yet," he replied. "We're far enough from the city that we should be safe for the time being, but this desert is way too dangerous to set up camp in."

"The desert is huge," Aang explained, as patiently as he could. He had not forgotten the fight they had had, and as thankful as he was for Sansetsu's warning and his help getting them out of the city, he was still far from comfortable around the man. "We need to stop soon, Katara is tir-"

"I'm ok," she interjected. "I just slipped."

"See?" Sansetsu gestured to her. "We haven't got far to go, maybe another hour. Let's go."

Doubtfully Aang watched as Katara pushed past him, her eyes fixed ahead, both miserable and determined. Sadly Aang followed, allowing his flame to burn just a little brighter for them.

It was nearer to an hour and a half before Sansetsu finally stopped his tireless walk across the desert. As Aang approached his position the simmering light from his flame illuminated the side of a large boulder, the stone's smooth surface a deep red. The sand and wind had eroded this over the millennia too, but luckily it still stood large enough for Aang to be able to make them a shelter. They were thrown in momentary darkness as Aang dropped the flame, his feet slamming into the ground and arms pushing as he pulled the rock forward and out, creating a large tent. Quickly he lit another flame, checking back to make sure that Katara was sill close by. In silence, she climbed in, and he followed, Sansetsu then seating himself at the entrance to the cave, his back to the desert outside.

They had no supplies, no firewood, just a little of Katara's bending water, and sitting on the uncomfortable sand in their cold cage Aang could not stop a sense of despair from washing over him. In the city, at least he could keep Katara comfortable, if not completely safe, but now they were neither of those things. Katara herself had leaned back against the stone wall, one knee bent up as her other leg lay across the floor, her arms crossed tightly across her chest and her tired eyes looking between the pair. But, before Aang could speak, she cut over him.

"What happened?" she demanded, her voice cool as her gaze. "Why did I need to be blind-folded, what happened to me?" At first it seemed as though Sansetsu wouldn't answer, looking at the sand upon which they sat, before the large Avatar took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"It is possible that Tonrar knew we were hiding there," he replied. "He sent out his spirits to go after you."

"And why would he think we were there?" Katara continued. "I thought we were supposed to be safe there?" She clenched her fists, breathing from her nose. "Out here the spirits ... or this entire damn world ... seems to want me gone, at least in the city I could stop the voices-" she pressed the heal of her palm to her forehead, and Aang felt alarmed. "It didn't affect me there, surely that mean that it was safe from Tonrar and his spirits?"

"There's a reason why the spiritual energy of the city wasn't as overwhelming as it is out there," Sansetsu replied calmly, "and that's because it's designed to be that way. It's been made to appear as a safe haven for anyone lost in the spirit world, but it's not. It never was. I just hoped that Tonrar would not come for us just yet."

"I don't understand ..." Katara's voice was tipped in irritation, and Aang could tell that she was swiftly starting to feel the pressure of the energy all around her. "Why make it appear safe if it's not?"

Sansetsu raised an eyebrow, before grunting. "You really have to ask me that?"

"It's a trap," she breathed, before looking sharply across at Aang. "A trap for what? For who? Why would you lead Aang into a trap!"

Aang caught the curl of Sansetsu's lips, the darkness in his expression and decided to interrupt, leaning forward in the sand.

"The city was created by humans a long time ago," he said, his voice as calm as he could manage. "Humans who decided to make their home in the spirit world." Katara furrowed her brow. "But, at some point, the spirits decided that they didn't want the humans there any more ... they drove them out. Tonrar was one of those spirits, Katara, and he trapped their souls in that city. He turned it into a prison, and he's been luring human's there ever since."

The waterbender's breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide before she whirled onto Sansetsu, furious.

"You had Aang go to Tonrar's _prison?_ " she hissed, incredulous. "His prison and you didn't expect him to find us!"

"Well, I've been there for the last one thousand years and he's never found me," Sansetsu all but yelled in response, his fists curling and his mouth a snarl. Katara's chest heaved, eyes blazing.

"But Tonrar wasn't after you!" she yelled back. "Tonrar has no interest in you!"

"And even when he was he couldn't find me there!"

The change in atmosphere was instant. Sansetsu breathing in sharply, eyes widening and his hands freezing. Aang's attention snapped towards the past Avatar sat in front of him, his heart leaping to his throat and it seemed as though the temperature had dropped from cold to freezing in the cage, he almost light headed with the realisation.

"Tonrar was after you?"

Aang's voice was quiet, sounding close to betrayed, his grey eyes burning in the light from the fire that still formed in his hand as he looked over at his fellow airbender.

"That's why it's you. Why you and not any of the other Avatar's."

Sansetsu remained silent, his own silver eyes staring steadily into Aang's as his hands dropped to his lap.

"Which means you managed to stop him from controlling you," Aang continued. Sansetsu looked away, grimacing. "You have to tell me how. You need to tell me everything."

"You can't stop him the way that I did, kid." The past Avatar's voice was hushed, his tone for once sober and lacking it's usual mocking vehemence. "That's not even an option for you any more."

Frustrated Aang exchanged a glance with Katara. "Why? If it worked for you, why not me?"

"Because things have progressed too far!" Sansetsu snapped, shooting Aang an a dark glare. "When I was dealing with Tonrar it was only through me that he could hope to contain control of the mortal world! But now has a tear between the universes and, frankly, he'll get his revenge with or without you at this point."

"But if he can't control me that I can find a way to get him out of Koh's body!" Aang cried. "And if Koh can fix can fix the tear then it's over ..." He paused, heart hammering, unable to understand why Sansetsu wouldn't tell him how he had stopped Tonrar from controlling him. "You need to tell me how you stopped him, Sansetsu. Please."

Sansetsu's cold flare softened momentarily, and the large airbender studied the younger's face. Katara sat at his side, her own expression mixed earnest and angry, fatigue shadowing her brilliant blue eyes. The both watch as Sansetsu sighed, raising a hand to rub it across his face, now a picture of painted acceptance.

"You remember how I told you that every Avatara faces his own big bad?" he asked. Aang nodded.

"Yes, and I asked you what yours was."

Sansetsu's head rose, chin high yet eyes clouded with misery. "I suppose it's time I told you my tale." He took a deep breath, the fire in the cave reflecting his somber eyes, and started. "I never wanted to be the Avatar ..."


	15. The Tale of Sansetsu: Part One

A light flurry of snow fell down, covering the capes and peaks of the secretive winter wonderland standing high in the mountains.

Winter had arrived as a peaceful respite from the usually scorching sun, a quantum of indolence above the busy new world below. Whilst the Earth and Fire Nation's were discovering hydraulics, chain drives, and other mechanisms that could power their world, the Northern Air Temple kept it's focus on the spiritual elements of the land, along with the Water Tribes found on opposing corners of the earth. The century long era of tentative peace that had preceded this technological revolution seemed threatened, as the spiritual and the non-spiritual came to blows, as it always had, over the future. Across the Water Tribes, self proclaimed traditional revolutionaries by the name of Spiritualists had begun to protest against the experiments taking place in the Fire Nation, experiments directly aiming to bring a new form of weaponry to the battlefield that could prove to be more destructive than anything seen before. The Earth Kingdom, though it had not spoken up in direct support of these experiments, had also not said anything against them either, and many in the Water Tribes believed the Earth Kingdom of foul play. For the Air Nomads, though worldly concerns were not traditionally of significance to them, the knowledge that the Fire and Earth Nation's could be creating highly advanced weaponry was alarming, especially as no one, as yet, was aware of the identity of their new Avatar.

It had been sixteen years since the passing of the great Avatar Mareechi, a Fire Nation woman whose blazing heart and firm morals had shaped the world from the war torn mess it had been, into one of a more spiritual nature. Avatar Mareechi had stood as their Avatar for ninety eight long, prosperous years, until she passed in her sleep one lone winters eve. For those that knew, the elders among the Air Nomad court, today would be the day that the new Avatar would learn of their identity, and perhaps this new unrest could come to an end. And on this day, in the courtyards of the Northern Air Temple, three young airbenders played, two of the tattooed boys showing off their tricks in front of the younger student.

"Hey, Sunny, show me how to do that again, will ya?"

Sunny, a tall young man of sixteen, freshly tattooed and with a slow grin on his handsome face, rolled his eyes. He was remarkably well built for his age and race, and notoriously vain, a trait that was traditionally considered a hindrance in his culture. But Sunny was his own man, and had always been a little overly confident compared to his peers.

"Sure, but you've got to actually try and keep up with me this time."

Sunny rolled a ball of air from behind his back, the whistling form rotating fast as he twisted it expertly down to the the tip of his right hand, then back across his shoulders and to the tip of his left, bowing as he did so. The younger monk stood with wide eyed amazement and admiration, his mouth wide as he clenched his fists in front of his face with excitement.

"Wooow ..."

"Oh, come on, Chun Chun, don't inflate his ego any more than it already is."

Sunny barked a laugh, looking sideways at his best friend. Kade, just a few hours his elder, was a much more reserved character, and as much as it pained Sunny to admit it, his skills far surpassed his own. Kade was a true prodigy, getting his tattoos at the tender age of thirteen, and soon after he was given his own class of young benders to teach. Though no one ever spoke it out loud, Sunny as his other airbending peers all knew that it was only a matter of time before the monks confirmed their beliefs. Though they shared the same birthday, there was never a doubt in Sunny's mind that Kade was the Avatar. There were other airbenders, of course, who had been born on the day that Avatar Mareechi passed from this world. The Air Nomad nation was experiencing a population boom like it had seldom experienced in the past, perhaps as a direct result of Avatar Mareechi's efforts, yet even with one child in the South and two in the East that could also potentially be the Avatar, with Kade's unrivaled skills and wisdom for his age, there was no way that it could be anybody else.

"My ego is unquenchable, Kade, and you know it," Sunny teased.

"And now you've finally got your tattoos you're going to be insufferable," Kade sighed. Chun Chun laughed, sitting himself on the ground as he looked up at his older friends.

"I'll get my tattoos soon, just you guys watch."

"You've still got a year left to beat Sunny," Kade remarked. He was a shorter, lithe boy, and what Sunny had in strength Kade made up for in speed. His form was well suited to his bending, and although it wasn't unheard of for the younger boys to tease him for his height, the advantages his shorter stature held became very clear during training.

"Yeh yeh," Sunny snapped, waving his hand. "We can't all be naturals like you, Kade. And hey, I fucking got them didn't I?" Sunny pointed to his forehead whilst Chun Chun winced, Kade throwing him a dark look.

"You need to stop talking that way," he said. "If the elders hear you talking like that you know what they'll do with you, don't you?"

Sunny scoffed. "Yeh yeh," he repeated. He looked to his right, his eyes following the spiral stairway that lead towards to the central spire of the Northern Air Temple. It was in here that the elders resided, in a cool open room that he had often found himself standing in, uttering apologise to his maters. Sunny was a rambunctious child, his ego and over confidence often getting him into trouble. He had spent many a back breaking day weeding the crops and cleaning the floors of the temple as punishment for his actions. But what they called punishment, he called character building, and he wasn't about to let simple chores stop him from exploring his true potential. He had plans outside of these mountains, he had no intention to stay here any longer than he needed, and although he had his tattoos he had never truly identified with limits that came with the spiritual side of his Air Nomad culture, the quest for enlightenment. But the nomad part ran violently though his veins, and for as long as he could remember he had itched to grab his glider and jump from these pagodas, to go off and find adventure, danger, and excitement in the world below.

"Do you think they'll make a deal of your birthdays today?" Chun Chun piped up, also looking towards the elder's temple. Sunny glanced sideways at Kade, who had elected to look up at the sky, avoiding their gazes, and contended himself with a scoff.

"Don't be stupid, Chun Chun, you know they don't care for birthdays around here."

Chun Chun looked between his friends, large grey eyes confused. He, like all the Air Nomads, knew that today was the sixteen year anniversary of Avatar Mareechi's death.

"Yeeeh, but isn't today-"

"I said don't be stupid," Sunny interrupted, crossing his arms across his wide chest. "Spirits you have no idea when to shut up, do you?"

"Hey at least I'm not a potty mouth like you!" Chun Chun yelled.

"Oh yeh? Why don't you come on over and here and say that to my face, pipsqueak?"

"Do you guys ever quit?" Kade sighed.

Just as Sunny opened his mouth to retort, they were cut off by the sound of a deep, lyrical gong note, reverberating through the air, setting the hairs on the back of their necks on edge. The three of them immediately snapped their gaze over the temple, a long silence following the sound. Sunny looked over at Kade, and his friend returned his look with a sombre resignation.

"Looks like they remembered your birthdays after all, " Chun Chun said, his voice hushed and reverent.

Not long later, the three of them found themselves stood in the cylindrical hall that was at the base of the great temple, along with all of their fellow students and masters. No one dared to speak, looking towards the five elders standing in front of them, their faces coloured with anticipation and nerves. Today they would find out if the new Avatar was to be haled from the Northern Air Temple. Today history would begin anew, today hope could be restored.

The elders wore the classic ceremonial robes, wooden beads hanging low down their necks as they stood with their hands buried in their sleeves. In the center stood the oldest of them all, Mun-Tae, perhaps the wisest yet least tolerant of all the airbending masters across all four Temples. His expression was vague, wrinkled face pulled tight as he looked slowly out at his pupils. No one spoke, they hardly even dared to breathe, waiting for the old master to speak.

"As I am sure you have all come to realise," Mun-Tae began, his voice still remarkably strong and level for a man of his grand age, "today is the day that we reveal the identity of our new Avatar. The one who will lead our Nation, and our world, from the darkness that has started to engulf it in recent times, and back into the light."

Sunny couldn't stop his eyes from flickering across to Kade, who stood very still, his eyes fixed forward.

"It brings me great honor to tell you that the new Avatar is from our own Temple, an airbending master born and raised within our own humble walls."

Sunny had uttered a low scoff at that, nudging Kade with his elbow. The Northern Air Temple was far from humble. He noticed a few stealing glances in their direction, his scoff heard clearly across the back row. Kade's cheeks grew pink as he tried to ignore him.

"And so," Mun-Tae continued, as Sunny rushed to hide his grin, "I ask that you all bow and show your respect to our new Avatar." Mun-Tae took a deep breath, before raising both his arms. "Avatar Sansetsu."

Sunny felt the blood immediately drain from his face, his eyes widen and his breath catch in his throat. The silence around him was deafening, faces across the hall snapping in his direction, disbelief etched across all their features, and Sunny couldn't help but feel suffocated by their stares, their gawping faces. He heard the whispers, but he failed to register the words, only looking dumbly over at Master Mun-Tae, who regarded him with a stony face. Then, he felt movement to his right, and looked down to see that Kade had dropped to one knee, bowing his head. One by one everyone in the hall followed suit, until Sunny found himself surrounded by a sea of orange robes and bald heads.

"Avatar Sansetsu, please step forward."

In a daze he began to walk, his legs feeling wobbly underneath him as he went. _This couldn't be right. This couldn't be happening ... he couldn't be the Avatar! It was a mistake!_ All too soon he came to a halt in front of the elders, towering over Master Mun-Tae as the older man regarded him with what could have passed as a glare of contempt to anyone close enough.

"Sixteen years ago the Avatar Spirit chose you, and it is on this day, your sixteenth birthday, that the spirits have allowed us to reveal your true identity to the world. Your life is no longer your own, but that of the world, and from this point on you will travel to all four corners of the earth, mastering each of the elements, in order to carry out your duty as the Avatar."

Sunny just blinked. Every fiber of his being wanted to grab the old man and shake him, insist that he had gotten this wrong, that he couldn't be the Avatar, but a stronger part of himself kept him frozen to the spot, leaving his face a picture of horror and disbelief. Mun-Tae frowned, lowering his chin and looking coldly up at him.

"Wh- I mean, uh," he swallowed, his throat dry. "Y-yes, Mater Mun-Tae." He hurriedly bowed, praying that the little blood that still seemed to be pumping through his body didn't just drain from his head and leave him passed out on the stone floor. He heard movement from the Master, and looked up to see the old man holding forward a long string necklace, a large wooden pendant hanging at the end. Sunny remained crouched, still taller than the old Master, and it was placed around his bald head. The weight had an immediate affect on him, as if all of a sudden the entire world had been placed around his neck, and he couldn't stop himself from throwing Mun-Tae a look of desperation.

"There has to be a mistake," he muttered, as low as he could. "I can't be the Avatar."

If he had expected Mun-Tae's expression to soften, he was to be disappointed. The old man looked back at him with eyes clouded by cataracts, his face still.

"There is no mistake."

Hours later Sunny found himself lying back on his hard bed, eyes gazing sightlessly up at the ceiling he had stared up at many hundreds of times before. The day had flown by much too quickly. He had been pulled away from the muttering crowd, and brought to the hall of the elders, high up on the top of the spire. He had listened in silence as the elders had told him how they had realised he was the Avatar many years before when he had chosen a selection of toys from hundreds, toys that the last Avatar from the Air Nomads had chosen years before him. They continued to explain how he would be leaving for the Southern Water Tribe the very next day in order to start his training with Master Anuutka to become proficient in the art of waterbending, and that he would not be able to return to the Northern Air Temple until his training with all the elements was complete. At that, his heart had burned. He had always wanted to explore the world, to leave the Temple behind, but he wasn't ready, he had more to learn and he had friends that he would miss. Why were they doing this to him? Before he had even had a chance to truly understand what they were demanding of him he had been donned in ceremonial robes, and was frog marched to a feast held in his honor. Bitterly he had been placed at the top of the table with the elders, his sad face looking down at his friends as they, too, looked back at him with a mixture of confusion sadness and, to his dismay, anger.

He hadn't even been given the chance to speak to any of his friends before the feast was called to an end, and all were sent to their rooms. And it was in his room he lay, mind racing and body numb. He was the Avatar. It made no sense. He wasn't Avatar material, he knew that ... he didn't want to have his entire identity stripped away and replaced by whatever mold his future masters intended to place him in. He was boastful, vain, but somehow being the Avatar never seemed like something that he wanted for himself, despite all the power that would come with it. For with that power came a responsibility ... he would be giving his life up for the world, but his life was his own. He couldn't became their puppet ...

A knock roused him from his thoughts, and he looked sharply over to his door. He was, in truth, surprised to see Kade standing there, leaning against the stone arch, his expression somber. They looked at each other for a moment, each assessing the other, before Kade finally sighed.

"So, how are you holding up?"

Looking back up at his ceiling, Sunny uttered a humorless laugh.

"Well, you know, I just found out that I'm the most powerful man in the world and you're not. So, really, I think the real question is, how are _you_ holding up?"

Kade was silent, and Sunny looked back over, a single brow raised. His friend stood staring quietly out of the window, and with an irritated growl Sunny sat up. "Whatever, I'm fine, you know me."

"I'm sorry I never told you."

Sunny frowned, cocking his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"I knew I wasn't the Avatar," Kade admitted, his voice hushed as he continued his vigil from the doorway. "I've known for a very long time that it wasn't me."

Sunny blinked in surprise. "What? How could you have possibly known that?"

"Because if I was the Avatar don't you think I would have been able to bend more than just air?" Kade replied with a chuckle, finally turning his gaze back to his friend. "I tried, I really did, but it just wasn't to be my destiny. Everyone thought it was me, and I didn't want you to think that it could be you, so I just let everyone go on believing."

"Why did you not want me to think it could be me? Why would you not want me to think I was the Avatar?"

Kade half smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Would you believe me if I told you it was because I was trying to protect you?"

Surprised Sunny leaned back, brow furrowed.

"Protect me from what, exactly?"

Kade stepped away from the doorway, instead coming to sit beside Sunny on the bed.

"I knew you didn't want to be the Avatar," he said quietly. "And I suppose, well, I guess I just managed to convince myself that the Avatar was one of the other airbenders born on the day Avatar Mareechi died. I mean, there were three others, after all, it could just as easily have been them. I didn't want you spending your youth worrying."

In spite of himself, Sunny was touched. He looked sadly across at his friend. They had always been close, raised by the same monks, they had learned together, trained together, played together. For their entire lives they had been inseparable, despite how different they really were to one another. Sunny had always believed that he was the brave one, the strong one, but it turned out that all along Kade had been protecting him.

"I dunno what to say," Sunny mumbled.

"You don't have to say anything," Kade returned. "Just know, I'm sorry." Sunny looked back to him. "I'm sorry that it had to be you, I'm sorry that your dreams had to be taken away from you."

Sunny opened his mouth to respond, his heart hammering, but gritting his teeth he looked away. "Hey," he said, forcing a cheer to his voice, "why knows? Maybe I'll make a good Avatar."

Kade grinned at him, though the sadness never left his eyes. "Oh, I have no doubt of that."

"Although, I do feel like I'm stealing something from you," Sunny confessed. "Stealing this identity from you." Kade laughed softly.

"Hey, that was a path I knew I would never take," he said. "I've not lost anything. This is your destiny, not mine. I'll just have to make mine elsewhere." He paused, throwing his friend an old familiar, wicked grin. "Hey, I'm practically the one who trained the Avatar airbending, after all."

Sunny rolled his eyes. "Yeh, yeh, that sounds like just the thing to make you hard."

Kade sighed, shaking his head. "You know, you really need to learn to control that tongue of yours now, _Avatar Sansetsu_. You'll give across the wrong impression."

"Eh, screw that, I'm Avatar Sunny and with my silver tongue I'll rule the world!"

"You know you're not actually supposed to rule the world, don't you?" Kade asked hurriedly, worry in his tone.

"Spirits, give me some slack, Kadey. Being the Avatar is going to be no fun at all."

"I don't think it's really meant to be fun."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Sunny propped his chin in his hand, glaring at the window. He didn't want this. He didn't want any single piece of this.

"Hey."

He looked back at his friend, thick brows raising.

"Yeh?"

"When your training is done, come back and see me, yeh?"

Sunny's heart dropped, hearing the sadness in his friends voice breaking him more than anything else had.

"I was honestly starting to worry about why you've not needed to start shaving yet," he grumbled. "But now I realise, it's because you're a woman."

Kade punched him hard on the shoulder. "I'm not joking, man! Don't forget about us here."

Rubbing his shoulder, Sunny sighed. "I know, I know ... I won't forget you guys. I'll be back."

The next morning Sunny was woken early by one of the elders, and with nothing but his glider, the clothes on his back, and a bag full of food, he was ushered down to the eastern pagoda, where his bison, Bug Breath, stood waiting for him.

"We wish you well on this journey, Avatar Sansetsu."

Bitterly Sunny bowed to the five elders, before jumping up into Bug Breath's saddle and, with one last glance at his home, he shook his reins and the lonely pair took to the cold winter sky.

It took two long and hard years for Sunny to finally master waterbending. Despite the similarities between it and the airbending style, it was proved to be a difficult element for him to master, to understand even. The grace and peace of mind required of him was something that he knew his old friend Kade would have been much better suited to than him. Sunny was impatient, and he was aggressive in his style and methods, his movements rougher, sharper, and faster than what was asked of by the element. His teachers in the Northern Air Temple had called him a hurricane, and they had not been wrong. However, his time in the Southern Water Tribe hadn't exactly been unenjoyable, and he had grown very fond of the people. At first, it had taken a while for everyone to adjust to his abrasive nature, but he found that he bonded very well with the Southern men, and the women weren't exactly hard on the eyes, either.

There was one girl in particular who he had trouble keeping his mind off. Growing up in a Temple surrounded by other men, his journey to the Southern Air Temple opened his eyes in a whole other way. She was tall and strong, blue eyes complimenting her dark hair and skin, and her laugh was like nothing he had ever heard before. They got on well, she being his sparring partner more often than not, however there was one big problem. Her father was his waterbending teacher, Master Anuutka, and the man had made it very clear from the start that Sunny wasn't even slightly welcome to courting his daughter. Not even slightly.

"I like you, Sunny," Anuutka had said over a drought of strong seal blubber ale after a hard day's training. "But not even over my dead body will I let my Nahkta have anything to do with you, aside as a fellow student of mine."

Sunny had long since given up his vegetarian roots, and he too sat drinking the strong ale, before he had choked into his mug, the burning fluid dripping from his nose.

"I can assure you sir, I had no intention of courting your daughter!"

At that, Anuutka had glared at him coldly. "Oh, so you just intended to oggle her instead?"

Sunny gaped, mouthing wordless, noticing the other men in the room nudging one another, laughing openly at his discomfort. But Sunny was used to the ribbing in the South, and he was well equipped for handling such situations.

"I don't oggle her, sir" he said. "I just ..." he grabbed his mug and downed all that was left in two large gulps, looking at Anuutka from the side of his twinkling eyes. "I just like to admire her bending, that's all." His masters face turned bright red in anger, and with a loud laugh Sunny jumped to his feet, dodging as his master bent the ale from his mug, forming it into small hard bullets and firing them directly at his crotch.

But it wasn't just the company, or women, that made the Southern Tribe such an enjoyable place for Sunny. He hated the training, hated it just as much as he always thought he would, but there was a spirituality abut the place that he grew to find fascinating. The Air Nomads were all about working peacefully alongside the spirits, letting them do their thing whilst the Nomads did theirs. In fact, the idea of an ideal relationship between Nomad's and spirits was often one where they never even came into contact with one another. But the Southerners had a very different way of looking at the spirits. They communed with them, spoke to them, they begged of them for a good hunting trip each time they left, and when they returned they would gift part of their kill back to the spirits in thanks. It was alien to him to try and actually communicate with them, and he would sit and watch with a furrowed brow as it seemed that the spirits would respond, their presence felt very strongly, not only by himself, but by it seemed the entire of the Tribe. Despite this, he had yet to actually see his first spirit, let alone speak with one, and it was something that he desperately wanted to try, and he resolved to try one of these communes for himself one dark night during the polar winter.

It was night when the men headed off for their hunt, and although Sunny had left his vegetarian diet behind him, he had yet developed the stomach for actually tracking and killing the larger prey. He stayed back with the women and children, as he always did, standing with them as they watched them walk off across the ice, their fiery torches slowing disappearing from sight. Usually, at this point, he would take off to practice some more waterbending, perhaps with Nahkta if he was lucky, but that night he decided that he would walk alone. He pet Bug Breath on the nose as he passed, grabbing a torch of his own and setting off across the ice in the opposite direction to the hunting men.

In this secluded place, it was easy to forget that he was here for training, that the future of the entire world rested on his ability to master the element of water, and master it well. It was so quiet here, a world completely separate from everything else. In a sense, the Northern Air Temple had been much the same, but this place spoke to him in a much stronger voice than the Temple ever had. Even the people seemed much more like his kin than the Air Nomads. Of course, his friend Kade had been different. Kade understood him in a way that no one else likely ever could, but he felt so much more comfortable around these loud and somewhat brash men, and he never felt he had to tone himself down to fit in with them. Oh he hated the training, of that there was no doubt, he even felt he hated the element of water in itself, but in another life he imagined he could perhaps have lived a happy life here. But, his training was fast coming to an end, and although it would never be a comfortable element for him, his mastery of water was at a level that he should be pleased with. It wouldn't be long before he would have to make his way to the Earth Kingdom, to say goodbye to the icy tundra he found he loved.

"I bet no one in the Earth Kingdom has even seen ice," Sunny grumbled as he walked, torch held ahead of him, casting shadows across the snowy and rocky peaks he passed. "Let alone spirits ..." Puffing irritably he began to climb a steep bank, his feet taking him to a secluded flat area of the tundra that he thought would be ideal.

When he arrived, he tentatively pressed his heal against the ice, before his booted feet walked out boldly across the ice. He knelt down on the cold ground, bending ice around the neck of his torch to keep it upright as he then placed his palms on the ground. A circle of the ice disappeared into the deep water beneath before Sunny pulled a lure and long string from his pocket. Sure enough, within a few minutes, he felt tugging on the line and pulled a thrashing fish from the water.

"Sorry my scaly friend," Sunny said, holding the fish down onto the ice. "But don't you worry, you're going to a good cause."

He pulled a knife from his other pocket, stabbing and running it down the fishes underside, it's blood spilling out onto the ice. He had watched the ceremony countless times before, the first catch of each trip was always offered as a gift to the spirits in order to gain their favour for the remainder of the fish. He had been told by some of the people living in the Tribe that it was also a way that one could speak directly to the spirits ... though they were not evil by nature, blood did not go unnoticed by the spirits that shared this part of the tundra, and Sunny hoped that tonight his offering would not go amiss either.

"Great spirits," he said, as the fish beat it's tail one last time before falling silent. "Please accept this offering. And, if anyone is near ..." he faltered, realizing that he actually had no idea what to say to draw a spirit to him. "Well, come say hi, I suppose?"

He sat on the ice for a few minutes longer, the flame on his torch having almost melted through the ice that held it in place, and with a heavy puff of air he got back to his feet, his finger hooked under the gill of the fish with the intent to bring it back to the Tribe. He was frustrated, but he could try again tomorrow.

"Hello, Avatar Sansetsu."

He froze, before turning on the spot and looking behind him. A tall black figure stood on the other side of the hole he had created in the ice, willowy and still. Sunny grabbed his torch from the ground, before holding it in front of him as it illuminated the spirit that had heard his call.

The face looked human, dark brown skin like those of the Water Tribes, yet with bright red eyes looking back at him under a tattooed brow. The red lines curled over his forehead and back over his skull, not unlike Sunny's own, and they seemed to shimmer slightly under the firelight. The only thing that really made his appearance unsettling was the unusually wide smile stretching across his otherwise quite beautiful face.

"You know who I am?" Sunny managed, still eyeing the spirit. For a moment, he seemed taken back, brow raised as he blinked back at him, but quickly regaining his composure, bowing his head.

"Of course, how could I not know the Avatar when I see him?"

"So, what kind of spirit are you?" Sunny asked, squinting in the gloom. "No offense but I was expecting something with a few more limbs ..."

The spirit laughed, and Sunny found the sound put him at ease.

"Sorry to disappoint," the spirit said. "We spirits come in many different forms, some of us appear more human than others."

"Huh."

"And of course, some of us simply do not choose to reveal our true forms to humans. There might be one too many limbs for them to handle."

It was Sunny's turn to laugh now, and he cocked his head to the side.

"You seem alright for a spirit, but I suppose I didn't really know what to expect. What did you say your name was then?"

The spirit smiled. "My name is Tsula," he said, before bowing. "And it is my honor to meet you, Avatar Sansetsu."

"Call me Sunny," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "What do you do around here, then?"

"I am the spirit of guidance," Tsula said. "And I suspect that it is no coincidence that I was called to you tonight."

"Why do you say that?" Sunny asked, his voice suddenly sharp.

"Well, if you don't mind my saying so, Avatar San- I mean, Sunny, you appear to be quite lost."

Sunny frowned. He had just begun to warm to the spirit. "I wouldn't say so," he replied defensively. "I mean, I pretty much get where I'm going at this point." He raised his hand, starting to count down on his fingers. "Master air, check. Master water, check check. Master earth and fire, well, work in progress. What about me makes you think I don't know where I'm damn going?"

A curious smile spread across Tsula's wide mouth. "You're following the path that everyone expects of you, that much is true. But what about you? What path do you want to follow?"

Sunny blinked. With the exception of Kade, all those years ago, not one person had thought to ask him what it was that _he_ wanted. Master Anuutka and the people of the South were kind, and he considered them his friends, but they took little interest in what his goals may be beyond mastering the four elements. After all, what else could the Avatar want? He was just an eighteen year old kid, at this point, so how could be even think to want anything more?

"You know, I have an old friend who would have probably loved you," he replied. Tsula continued to smile, hands crossed across his front. "I guess I don't know what I want," Sunny sighed. "Not yet, anyway. Any dreams I might have had were taken away from me the day I found out that I was the Avatar."

"Why would they be taken away?" Tsula asked. "You may be the Avatar, Sansetsu, but you are still a human like the rest. Carving out your own path is part of what makes the human experience, or so I've been lead to believe. Part of the thrill is breaking the rules."

Sunny considered the spirit and his words, eying him. "So, the spirit of guidance is guiding me towards breaking any oaths I may have had to make as the Avatar?"

Tsula's brow rose. "Oh no, I am simply telling you that you don't always have to do what it is expected of you. I am in favour of personal growth, you could say. And I suspect that is why I am standing before you tonight. You need more than a teacher in the art of bending, you need a spiritual guide that will offer you assistance in your life beyond that."

"So, what does having a spiritual guide entail exactly? Will you show me how to get into the spirit world?"

Tsula's grin only grew. "That and other things," he replied. "For the moment I would advise that you finish your lessons here in the South Pole before progressing to the Earth Kingdom. And though it may be too soon to tell I think, perhaps, earthbending is something that you will find you are quite good at."

"You're not the first person to tell me that."

"Call upon me whenever you require of me, Avatar Sunny. And don't worry, you needn't sacrifice a fish each time, just meditate on my name."

And with that, Tsula disappeared, leaving Sunny feeling both unsettled yet pleased.

In a matter of weeks Sunny took his final test, facing off against Master Anuutka in a one-on-one waterbending show-down to prove his worth, and his mastery of his second element. It had been hard work for Sunny to get to this stage, but as poorly as he took to waterbending he gained mastery of it none-the-less, his quick wit and out-of-the-box thinking giving him the edge over his teacher. With one final thrust he succeeded in trapping Anuutka in a frozen wave, and his teacher had conceded. The feast that had followed had been a big one, and he determined to make the night a good one, even stealing a kiss from Nahkta before the party ended.

The following morning he stood, dressed no longer in his Water Tribe garments but back in the Air Nomad robes he had once worn, standing beside Bug Breath as he said his goodbyes to the tribe.

"You are to go to Ba Sing Sei," Master Annutka said, passing the map to Sunny. "From what I can understand, the Earth King himself has shown very keen interest in having you come to the Palace. I believe he has also personally chosen a teacher for you."

"Is that normal?" Sunny asked, taking the map. Anuutka had scoffed.

"Who can say with the royal types?" he replied. "But I can't imagine you have anything to worry about. As Avatar you're practically royalty yourself."

Sunny looked down at his slightly-too-small robes and had to laugh. "Right!" He turned back to his teacher, before bowing. "Thank you for everything, Master Anuutka."

"Thank you for being such a hard working pupil," Anuutka replied with his own bow. "There are great things ahead of you, you will become a great Avatar, I am certain of it."

 **A/N: So we've finally made it ... we can finally learn of Sansetsu's history.**

 **His backstory is long, and difficult. The following chapter will be close to 10,000 words long. But it will also answer a lot of question. As ever, I would love to hear from my readers, reviews make me happy, and when I'm happy I write, and I am super interested to learn what you all think of Sansetsu at this point ...**


	16. The Tale of Sansetsu: Part Two

For a man so used to living in the quite Temple's of the North, and the rugged settlement in the South, arriving in Ba Sing Se was an almost overwhelming experience for him. He knew that City was big, but he still had not been prepared for the sheer size of it as he and Bug Breath reached the one hundred meter Great Wall. He had also not expected to see such stark disparity between the way those in the lower ring lived compared to those in the upper ring. Little did he know, these differences were soon to shape the entire course of his future.

His arrival at the Palace was met with much fan fare, he landing in the massive stone courtyard upon which a line of men stood, dressed in dark green with their heads bowed. As he dropped lightly from Bug Breath's back, one of them men stepped forward, his hands out-stretched.

"Avatara Sansetsu," he said, before stopping and bowing. Sunny, too, bowed. "We are so pleased to have you here at last. My name is Ying-Wen, I am the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Sei, and I am here on behalf of Earth King Chan Wu to welcome you to our city."

"Nice to meet you," Sunny said. He looked around at the large expanse of space around them. "What do you normally keep here then?"

Ying-Wen blinked in surprise. "Our armies, sir. This is where the Earth King's great and noble soldiers stand to meet their King before going off to battle."

"Huh." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Shame, you could probably move a lot of the people in the Lower Ring up here."

Ying-Wen's eyebrows nearly cleared his forehead, his face reddening. Sunny, however, continued to smile at the man.

"Well, don't let me hold things up. Let's go meet our most benevolent Earth King, shall we?"

He had known that the way that the people of the Earth Kingdom lived was very different from how those in the Air Temples, and even the Tribes, lived. He had known that the rich and poor were divided. Yet he had never in his life seen wealth so lewdly on display as in the Earth King's Palace. Gold seemed to drip from every doorway, only the richest, darkest mahogany seemed to be allowed, plush carpets and tapestries covering virtually every surface. Ying-Wen, and the men that joined him that he know understood to be the Palace guard, walked with them through the long corridor of the Palace, before finally opening up into another large empty space. Empty, that was, except for the huge throne at it's center.

The Earth King remained seated as the Palace guard stood back, allowing Ying-Wen and Sunny to approach. He was a large man, broad chested, square jawed, and with giant hands encrusted with rings and jewels, and he was far from the frail man that he had expected to find. Ying-Wen bowed deeply, backing away as he did, leaving Sunny standing alone in front of the Earth King.

"So, this is the Avatar!" Earth King Chan Wu held his huge arms out wide, a grin on his face. "You're a damn sight bigger than your predecessor!"

"In some places more than others," Sunny replied, his tongue working quicker than his mind, but Chan Wu laughed loudly, slamming his fist down on the arm of his throne.

"Wittier too," he said. "Now, I trust that your journey here was easy enough?"

"It's taken a bit of adjustment getting used to the warmer weather after living in the South Pole for two years, but otherwise it couldn't have gone smoother."

"Well, you should be spending a lot of time here in the Earth Kingdom," Chan Wu said with an even wider grin. "And Ba Sing Se is famous for it's fine weather."

Sunny smiled wryly. "I'll be quite honest with you, Earth King Chan Wu, I don't intend to spend quite as long mastering earthbending as I did waterbending."

Chan Wu's smile faded a notch, his small eyes seeming to glint. "Well, the Earth Kingdom is the center of everything these days, and Ba Sing Se the center of the Earth Kingdom. Even when your training is complete, I am certain that we'll be spending a lot of time together, you and I."

Sunny kept his face serene, but he knew that he was already being played. Of course the Earth King had wanted the Avatar training in the capital, he planned to seek Sunny's favor early on.

"I suppose we will," he replied evenly.

"I have hand chosen a fine master who will teach you the art of earthbending," Chan Wu continued. "He is responsible for training some of the greatest men in my military, and most of the greatest earthbenders of our lifetime. Master Li Qiang."

Sunny bowed his head in acceptance.

"You will commence your training with Master Li Qiang in the next two weeks," Chan Wu continued, and Sunny frowned.

"Two weeks?" he asked. "I can assure you I don't need time to rest, I'm happy to get started today."

"Sadly, Master Li Qiang is indisposed at this time. But if you would like to keep busy for the next two weeks, I am more than happy to fill that time for you."

There it was, the real reason that Chan Wu had been to set on the Avatar coming to train in Ba Sing Se.

"I'll remind you I am not a fully realised Avatar just yet," Sunny said evenly, trying not to sound disrespectful yet making it clear that he had no intention of being used. "And as such my capabilities will be limi-"

"But you are the Avatar, yes?" Chan Wu interrupted sharply. Sunny swallowed.

"Yes."

"Then whether you have completed your training or not, it is still your duty to help your Earth King with anything that he may ask." _Not_ my _King_ , Sunny thought darkly. "You've mastered air and water, haven't you? I can assure you the task I ask of you will not require anything else."

Sunny glanced to his side, seeing that Ying-Wen still stood close by, hands clasped at his front and staring sternly at him. They were already tensed and ready for a fight.

"What is it that you need me to do?" Sunny finally asked, forcing the serene smile back to his face again. Chan Wu grinned, almost greedily.

"There has been rumour of unrest in the Lower Ring," he replied. "Despite being provided for, much of these people unable to feed themselves without my generous offerings and allowing them to live in the homes that we have built for them free of charge, there have been whispers of a revolt. It seems there are some people in the Lower Ring spreading some bad advice that could very well get many of them killed."

Sunny bristled.

"The difference between the lower and upper classes of the city do not go unnoticed by myself," Chan Wu said, as if sensing the reason for Sunny's squirming. "It is simply deplorable that anyone in this world should have to suffer, which is why I have allowed the poorest and most vulnerable of us a safe place to call their own. But the poor still look to the rich as their enemies. I do not want violence. I need you to disguise yourself as an Earth Kingdom citizen, to travel to the Lower Ring and see what you can find out."

"I am the Avatar," Sunny said quickly, heat rising to his face, "not an Earth Kingdom spy."

"You bring peace, don't you?" Chan Wu retaliated, his giant fists gripping the edge of his throne. "Well right now you can help to avoid a civil war. As the Avatar, I would have expected you to jump at the chance."

Sunny found himself wishing that he had not come to Ba Sing Se. Perhaps he could have found his own teacher, and he had felt from the start that something as not right about the situation. He was being played, he knew it and Chan Wu knew it, but if he refused then what of his training? The Earth King had the power to make it impossible for him to find another teacher, if he upset him.

"Very well, Earth King Chan Wu," he said at length. Chan Wu grinned again, before raising a hand.

"Ying-Wen, see to it that the Avatar is escorted to his premises and offered a change of clothing. He will need to travel to the Lower Ring without his bison in order to keep his identity hidden."

"Yes, my Earth King." Ying-Wen bowed, before holding a hand out and directing Sunny from the room. He cast a final look back up at the grinning Earth King, before taking his leave.

During his time in the Water Tribe, Sunny had also neglected some other Air Nomad traditions beside shunning meat, including shaving his head. His fair was fairly long, pulled back into a sharp ponytail, and though he had had every intention of cutting his hair now he was out of the cold of the South Pole, it seemed that his hair was to work to the Earth King's advantage. As he stood being measured, various green colour fabrics being held up against him, another man entered, holding a sharp knife and cloth in their hand.

"What do you think you're going to do with that?" Sunny asked, eying the knife and glancing back at Ying-Wen who stood by the door.

"The Earth King has suggested that you have your hair cut in the traditional Ba Sing Se style," the man replied. "If you do not mind, of course, sir?"

Sunny sighed. "Whatever, I was only going to cut it all off anyway."

His hair was cut back, the front shaved and revealing his tattoo once more, until the hair that remained at the back of his head was pulled into a tight braid. He was just about to ask what he was supposed to do with his tattoos before a low cap was pulled over his head, covering them. Before long, he was left standing in front of a floor length mirror, checking his reflection.

He had been shaved and scrubbed up, dressed in long green robes, and he looked back to see a man who, despite his characteristic storm grey eyes, could more than easily pass an an Earth Kingdom citizen.

"What does sir think?" the man who had cut his hair asked, hovering almost nervously to the side. It was all Sunny could do to hold back a laugh.

"Does it matter what I think?" he asked bluntly. "I mean, if I tell you that green doesn't really compliment my eyes do I get to wear something else?"

The man flushed, and Ying-Wen stepped in before anyone could say any more.

"If you would like to follow me, we will lead you to the Lower Ring and give you your instructions for your return."

Traveling to the Lower Ring took far longer than Sunny had anticipated, they traveled via coach and ostrich horse which ordinarily would have allowed him a chance to watch the city go by, to learn as much as he could, but the curtains around his compartment had been sharply drawn shut, hiding him from the world and the world from him. Ying-Wen has said that it was to prevent prying eyes and anyone discovering his identity, but he thought it ran deeper than that. There was something fundamentally wrong with Ba Sing Se, and they did not want him to see it.

When he finally arrived to the slums of the Lower Ring, he held his hand in front of his eyes in the glaring sunlight. He was given instructions to return to this point when he had found out all he needed to, using the pass code _'Chan Wu rules benevolent and supreme'_ to be allowed exit from the ring. They were certainly subtle, Sunny had mused to himself, before stepping foot into the small market and looking around at the Lower Ring for the first time.

It was certainly made very evident that the Chan Wu ruled supreme, but there was no sign of the benevolence. Earth Kingdom insignia's hung here just as they had in the Palace, as if to remind the people exactly who it was they worked for. The smell of the place was over-powering, rich spices seemed to have been sprinkled over food and clothing alike, as if in attempt to cover the stench that came with the poverty-ridden streets. Ordinarily, Sunny was sure that he would have relished the opportunity to walk among the Earth Kingdom citizens without being recognised as the Avatar, to get a chance to see how the people really lived in this huge city, but flinging him here so suddenly on his arrival left him feeling as though his senses had immediately come under attack. He realised that, although the Palace had suited him in Earth Kingdom garb, they truly had no idea how the people in the Lower Rings dressed, and despite his simple robe it was the cleanliness of it that had him standing out like a sore thumb. He caught people eyeing him, muttering to themselves, and realised that he looked very much like a member of the middle class and, as such, perhaps someone worth robbing. He ground his teeth together, perhaps the Earth King's real plan was to get his assassinated in the Lower Ring.

It didn't take him long to realise that his appearance was going to make his job difficult, and so he decided to approach a clothing stall. The man running it looked at him with an expression of mixed contempt and greed, taking in the clean silk robes he wore, and Sunny smiled.

"Whatchu grinning about, huh?" the man demanded. "You know, we don't need your sort around here."

He saw the man's hand deliberately push aside his own muddy and torn robe, revealing the knife that hung at his hip.

"I dunno what you mean by _'my sort'_ ," Sunny replied, looking plainly at the knife before back to the man. "But how's about I offer you a trade? I'll give you my nice clean robes for some of yours." He pointed to one that seemed to have been stitched together from various pieces of green cloth. The man's eyebrows rose.

"Why?"

"Welp, let's just say I'm getting an awful lot of unwanted attention in these." He gestured to his own clothing, before jabbing his thumb back over his shoulder at the group of men not so discretely watching him from behind another stall.

"You think I'm gonna help one of the King's spies?" the man hissed. "Yeh, I know what you are."

"Spy?" Sunny laughed loudly. "I wish. I'm just a business man, no money on me I'm afraid boys," he added, looking behind his shoulder good humourly. "But if you help me out I might be able to make it worth your while anyway."

"How?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

With a grin, Sunny procured a silk handkerchief from inside his pockets, something that he discretely slipped into there whilst at the Palace. It had the Earth King's initials stitched into one corner in luxurious gold lace, and shone like a jewel among all the dark fabrics on the stall. The man's mouth fell open.

"How'd you get that?"

"As I said, I'm a business man," Sunny replied. "So, what say you? My robes and this lovely shiny handkerchief for that hideous piece of clothing right there."

"Hell, take whatever piece you want," the man said, before snatching the handkerchief from his hands. Careful not to dislodge his hat and reveal his tattoos, Sunny removed his outer robe, handing that back to the man before picking out the ugliest piece he could find. He could sense the man behind him only taking more interest at this point, and realised that he would have to lose them before they decided that they would see what else the weird stranger had hidden in his pockets.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Sunny said, bowing his head to the man at the stall. He merely grunted however, staring with wonder at the handkerchief. Quickly Sunny slipped into an alleyway, keeping a close eye on what was going on behind him. Sure enough he saw the small group of men start after him and, picking up speed, he hurried down the alley. Before the men could round the corner, he jumped on top of some timber and used his airbending to get in top of the building. Confused, and swearing the men stopped in the alley, looking around for him, and with a triumphant grin, Sunny hurried on.

It felt good, he realised, to out on his own and on a mission. It certainly didn't settle with him that he was here on the Earth King's orders, but this was the first time in the two years since he had left the Northern Air Temple that he actually felt like the Avatar. Out-smarting the common folk, stealing from the rich ... he wasn't sure that was strictly part of the deal, but it felt good. Great even. And on the rooftops he was able to get a better idea of what was going on in the town. The only real issues was that there were suspicious characters everywhere. Small groups of people gathering and whispering, others with robes pulled over their faces obscuring their identities from view. He imagined all sorts of sinister activity was taking place just below him, but the very little that he had heard had not mentioned any sort of revolt, or even the Earth King, and he continued. In time, he found himself climbing deeper and deeper into the slums, even the sunlight struggling to pierce through in some cases, and he started to see things more and more disturbing.

At one point, as he ducked under a washing line and around a chimney, he caught sight of something that made his blood run cold. A little girl walked, her face and clothes grubby. Than it itself was not unusual, but what was the dark scars across her face, or the fact that she was missing an arm, more scars crisscrossing over the stump and up the neck and shoulders. He held his breath, looking down at the girl as she walked beside what he assumed to be her mother, her face downcast. After a moment, he carried on. He saw more children, as he went. Some scarred, others with missing limbs or bandages, and the cold dread in his heart left his hands shaking. Something was going on, alright, something that the Earth King was either unaware of or hoping to keep quiet. Something was hurting these children.

"Your people deserve better, Shu, that's why we're here. We want to help."

Sunny's keen ears picked up the accent before the words, and he stopped dead. He eased himself as best he could to the edge of the building he stood on, looking down to see a small group of people below him. Two of them wore dark robes pulled up over their heads, whilst two men and a woman stood close to them, frowns on their face as they uncomfortably looked between themselves and those in the hoods.

"I understand that, I do," the man presumably named Shu replied. "You think I don't want a different life, a better life, for our children? But what you're asking is dangerous."

"It doesn't have to be," one of the robed people said, and Sunny felt his heart leap. Something about that voice seemed very familiar to him. "We oppose violence at every turn, but we cannot stand back and allow this to happen you, to your people."

"Then what do you ask of us?" the woman asked now, wringing her hands nervously. "The army ... they'll kill us if we stand against them, and we can't very well just leave the city."

"Well-"

Sunny slipped, his eyes widening as the roof tile beneath his feet gave way, dropping down and landing in the middle of the group. The reaction was immediate, they all looked up to see the man dressed in dirty Earth Kingdom robes spying on them, and they turned tail and ran, the robes figures running in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Sunny called, before dropping gracefully to the ground and taking after them. "Hey!"

But the robed couple wouldn't slow, running through the crowd of people and leaving Sunny to chase after them, apologising as he barged into people and knocked them out of the way. Eventually, however, he chased them down an alley, only to see them scale the side of the building, pushing the air beneath them, and he swore under his breath. Taking a deep breath he followed them, taking one final leap and spin before landing directly in front of them, leaning down and putting his hands on his knees.

"Spirits, slow down will you?" he gasped.

"Wait ... Sunny?" He looked up to see one of the figures pull their robe from over the face, and he found himself looking back at none other than Chun Chun. He had grown since Sunny had last seen him, and it seemed he had also gained his tattoos, but the round face was unmistakably his.

"Hey Chun Chun," Sunny said, standing straight now. "Small world, huh?"

An hour later Sunny found himself cramped into a small dark room with Chun Chun and the other airbender, a woman from the Eastern Air Temple by the name of Dema, as well as two Earth Kingdom men who eyed him suspiciously.

"Who's this, Chun Chun?" one of the men asked, his arms crossed against his chest. The man beside him held aloft two small rocks, rotating them in the air with his bending, maintaining eye contact with Sunny. He assumed it was meant as a threat.

Chun Chun, who had pulled off his dark robe to reveal his Air Nomad garbs beneath, held a hand out. "Take it easy, this is my friend Sansetsu, from the Northern Air Temple."

"Right," the man said darkly. "And what's with the poorly hidden Earth Kingdom silk he's wearing? Doesn't look like an airbender to me."

Chun Chun threw a desperate look in Sunny's direction, and he sighed before pulling the hat off and revealing his tattoo. "There she is, boys," he said, lowering his head and gesturing to his scalp. "Chuck some water on her if you like, promise you she won't wash off." The man glanced between each other grudgingly. "Now, mind telling what this is all about?"

"Sunny, this is Jiao-Long and Li, leaders of the rebellion within the Earth Kingdom."

"Huh," Sunny said, raising his eyebrows. "So the Earth King was right, there is a revolt coming."

Jiao-Long growled, holding his fists out as the companion Li, dropped his rocks into his palm. "I knew it! He's with the Earth King!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on!" Chun Chun cried, hurrying forward again. "Sunny is not with the Earth King. Are you Sunny?"

Sunny grinned, almost tempted to goad the men further. "I mean, we're not official," he said, with a wink. "But if you're asking if I work for the Earth King then, no, I don't."

"See?" Chun Chun said, with some relief.

"I don't believe him," Jiao-Long growled.

"Believe what you like, my angry friend," Sunny said, holding up his hands. "But as the Avatar, it's not really expected of me to take sides."

Jiao-Long's eyes widened, Li's mouth gaped.

"The Avatar?"

"That's me. I came here to learn earthbending just this morning, but the oh so benevolent and supreme Earth King decided to send me on a mission, instead. Apparently there's been some suspicious customers spotted in the Lower Ring spreading ideas. I'm assuming he meant you," Sunny added, looking at Chun Chun and Dema. The latter shrugged, remaining silent.

"So you are with the Earth King," Jiao-Long shouted again.

"Didn't I just say I don't take sides?" Sunny said, rubbing his forehead with exasperation. "But maybe if you tell me what's going on round here I can help you. What's happening to the kids?"

Li, yet to speak, shut his eyes and looked away. Jiao-Long's shoulders sagged, the hurt in his eyes visible.

"Earth King Chan Wu has been using them as free labour in the mines," Chun Chun said, his voice low. Disgusted, Sunny looked in his direction. "He allows people to live here without having to pay for housing, but the payment he does ask is far steeper. The children are seen as disposable, many have died, many more injured, and if anyone protests then the children are taken away from their parents and never seen again."

Sunny's head started to ring, anger rising to his chest. He thought of the injured children he had seen, the haunted looks on their faces, and he saw also the pained looks on the faces of the adults that were with them.

"We heard of what was going on," Chun Chun continued, "and ever since we've been sneaking into the Lower Rings bringing food and medicine for the people affected by this. It's not a lot, and it's not enough, but what more can a handful of airbenders do?"

He saw the hopeful look in his old friends face, and he knew what he was asking. Sunny took a deep breath.

"I cannot for one second expect the Earth King to listen to me and more than he does his people," he replied. "And if I bring this up, it may cut off my link to the Earth King and my earthbending teacher completely."

"How does that matter more than these people's lives?" Dema spoke now. "Chun Chun is your kin ... these people need help ... how can the Avatar deny them?"

"The Avatar hasn't even mastered earth or fire yet," Sunny replied tersely. "I don't think you realise how little influence I actually have."

"But you have an audience with the Earth King!" Chun Chun pressed. "You're closer than any of us could ever hope to be. Please, Sunny, we need your help."

Sunny stayed where he was for a moment, his thoughts racing, before with a sigh he got to his feet.

"I need a moment, to think this through, to think of a plan."

Jiao-Long scoffed. With a final grimace Sunny left the room, heading for the roof and for a moment of solitude.

He knew full well that he had to help these people, help the children that had been suffering, but it wasn't so easy as telling the Earth King his thoughts. Confronting the Earth King would be a huge undertaking, and not one he should take lightly. It wouldn't just potentially cut off his link to the King and his earthbending teacher, but start a fight between the Avatar and Ba Sing Se. For him to stand up in defiance of the Earth King could be seen as an act of war, and if he could not work with the Earth King how would that shape his future? The future of the world. He rubbed his palms tiredly against his face, wishing that he had someone to talk this through with. It was then that he remembered. He did, didn't he?

"Hey Tsula, not really sure how I'm supposed to go about this but ... you there?"

For a moment nothing happened, and Sunny began to feel a little red in the face, then, he felt a whoosh of air to his side and looked round to see the dark spirit standing beside him, a paternal smile on his face.

"Hello Avatar Sansetsu," he said, with a light bow. "How can I help you?"

"Ah good," Sunny said with some relief. Up close and under a brighter light, he could get a better look at the spirit that had visited in the South Pole. The tattoos across his scalp, he realised, were not tattoos at all rather than deep welts in his skin that seemed to glow with an inner red light that matched his eyes, and his mouth, drawn in a smile, seemed to be filled with many sharp teeth. "You're the spirit of guidance, right? So how to do I go about getting some guidance here?"

"You need only ask, Avatar Sunny," Tsula replied. "I can't promise to have all the answers, but any way that I can assist the Avatar and I will."

"Good," Sunny repeated. He looked back down at the slums below him, and took a deep breath. "The Earth King is a nasty guy," he said at length. "It turns out that he's using the children as free labour in the mines around the city. Children are getting hurt, killed ... there's a small rebellion here and they want my help."

Tsula cocked his head to one side. "I'd say the answer is pretty evident, wouldn't you?"

"Right," Sunny grumbled. "But see, the issue is, if I confront the Earth King, not only will I not be able to start leaning earthbending, but it could also create more trouble. Surely I'm not supposed to directly oppose any of the world leaders? I'm the Avatar ... peace maker and all that bollocks."

"Your duty isn't to the world leaders," Tsula replied. "But to the people. How is backing the Earth King for anyone's benefit except your own? Certainly not the people's."

"Shit," Sunny said simply. Then, after a deep breath, "Fuck. I'm going to have to face off against the Earth King, aren't I?"

"You may find yourself surprised," Tsula offered. "The Earth King may well be willing to listen to the concerns of the Avatar."

With promises to speak to the Earth King, Sunny left Chun Chun and the others behind him later that day, a scowl on his face as he worked his way through the crowd in the slums. He saw more children as he went, even those without injuries looked as though they were carrying a weight that was far beyond their years. None of them played, there were no smiles, and he shut his eyes tight, trying to ease the anger in his chest. Going to the Earth King angry would not help anyway, but he was growing more furious with each step. Uttering the pass code to the guard at the gate left him feeling dirtier than the robes he wore, and his upper lip curled as he made his way past the guard to the group waiting for him outside.

"All go to plan?" Ying-Wen asked, before looking at his appearance quizzically.

"Yep," Sunny replied, his voice restrained. "I've got a lot to report back to the King, that's for sure."

Sunny found himself standing back in front of the Earth King just as night started to fall in the Earth Kingdom. He had been changed out of his robes quickly, he had noticed, no one wanting to see such a disgraceful sight in the Palace walls, and he was back wearing his own Air Nomad robes. In a sense, it felt right.

Chan Wu had a huge grin on his face, mirroring Sunny's own. He had come to the Earth King confident, as confident as he could be, hoping that perhaps he could explain what was happening to Chan Wu before he retaliated.

"I hear you have some things to report back to me, Avatar Sansetsu!" Chan Wu said, hold his arms out expectantly. "Tell me, are the rumours true?"

"I'm afraid there is a lot more going on in the Lower Rings than even the rumours could cover," Sunny replied, still smiling. "Part of me hopes that some of them are not true, particularly those involving the use of children for hard labour. Tell me, Earth King Chan Wu, is it true that you are putting their children to work as payment for free housing?"

Chan Wu's face went red, his lips curling.

"You shouldn't believe everything those street rats tell you, Avatar Sansetsu," he replied, his voice tight.

"Are you trying to tell me that you don't use children in the mines?" Sunny quipped. "Is Ba Sing Se in so much trouble that it should have to resort to slavery?"

"You have no idea what you are talking about!" Chan Wu yelled, getting to his feet for the first time. He breathed heavily through his nose, and Sunny sensed the guards around him drawing in closer. "And what business is it of the Avatar what I do with my own subjects? You are here to serve me, are you not? Not the peasants of this city!"

It was Sunny's turn to get angry now, and he lowered his head with a grimace. He could not believe what he was hearing.

"My duty is to the people, Chan Wu," he replied. "And what I see here in the Earth Kingdom are people suffering at the hands of their King!"

"You will live to regret this, Avatar," Chan Wu snarled. "You are banished from Ba Sing Se, and you will never step foot on Earth Kingdom territory again! Mark my words, boy, my men will cut you down if you even attempt to find a new earthbending master!"

"No, Chan Wu," Sunny said, his voice low and even, his storm grey eyes ablaze as he stared back at the King. "It is you who will live to regret this day." He turned on his heel, bending the doors open with a slam, before storming from the room, back to the courtyard, to where Bug Breath stood waiting. Ying-Wen and the guard followed close at his heal, braced and ready to fight the Avatar if it came to it, but Sunny spared them no second glance, jumping onto Bug Breath and taking off for the outskirts of the city.

He knew that he was being watched as he flew, but he needed one last opportunity to speak with Chun Chun, Jiao-Long, and the others about what had happened.

"Alright, Bug," he said, reaching forward and placing a hand on the bison's side. "I'm going to do a little disappearing act, and I need you to come back and get me when I call you, get it?"

Bug Breath let out a long uncertain growl.

"Don't moan at me like that," Sunny said, looking back over his shoulder. "It's Avatar business, you've gotta get used to this."

With another grumble, Sunny angled Bug Breath low over the wall of the slums, casting one look back behind him before with a final pat on the bison's side, he dropped down from the air, falling fast. He used airbending to soften his landing, rolling as he did onto the roof of a building. It was going to be even harder, this time, to not be seen, but he knew the house where Chun Chun and the others had held up, and he just had to have faith in his memory to help him find it again. He paused at one point, pulling his orange robe from around his shoulder and, after a deep resigned breath, plunged it into a muddle of muck and mud, pulling it back out with a wrinkled nose. With a blast of air he dried it as best he could, before pulling the now dark and stained garb around his shoulders once more, and tight around his waist. Hopefully he'd be less noticeable this way.

Eventually he tracked down the house where he had met the group, dropping expertly to the ground, checking around him before knocking. For a moment, there was no response, until a panel on the door was opened and he saw a pair of angry green eyes looking back at him.

"Oh, it's you again, is it?"

"The very same," Sunny said. "You gonna let me in or what?"

He could see that Jiao-Long was seriously considering telling him to go to hell, but with a grunt the panel was slid closed and the door was opened. He looked puzzled at Sunny's appearance.

"Orange isn't a very Earth Kingdom colour," Sunny said, answering his silent question. "I hear the muddy look is pretty popular round here."

Jiao-Long grunted again, before leading Sunny up the stairs where Chun Chun was sitting with Dema and Li.

"Sunny!" Chun Chun jumped to his feet, arms reaching out as if to hug him, but he stopped when he saw the state of the Avatar standing before him. "What happened to you?"

"Well, I've got some bad news, and some really bad news," Sunny said, taking a seat despite the dark look on Li's face as he eyed the muddy footprints Sunny had left behind him.

"Start with the bad news, I guess," Chun Chun said.

"The bad news is that the Earth Kingdom did not want to hear what I had to say. The really bad news is that I have been banished from the Earth Kingdom, and from training with an earthbending master."

Chun Chun's mouth fell, as he gaped at Sunny in disbelief. Jiao-Long looked nothing short of furious, yelling and punching his hand against the table.

"That was about my reaction too," Sunny sighed.

"But ... he can't do that," Chun Chun said, shaking his head. "He can't just ban the Avatar from the entire of the Earth Kingdom!"

"He's the Earth King," Dema said. "He can technically do what he likes."

"But what about what's happening here?" Jiao-Long pressed, looking around at them. "How are we supposed to stand up against Chan Wu if we don't have the Avatar?"

"Who says you won't have the Avatar?" Sunny said suddenly, frowning. "What, you think that giant melon of a man is going to stop the Avatar from doing just as he damn well pleases?"

The group looked unsure.

"I don't need earthbending to stop him," Sunny continued. "I'll whoop his ass just as easy with my hands behind my back. What we need, however, is a plan."

"The world needs to know what's happening inside Ba Sing Se." Sunny almost jumped as a soft calm voice spoke, before he realised that it was Li. "We cannot do it alone ... if we fight, the Earth King will fight back just as hard. The Earth Kingdom is too corrupt for us to do this alone."

"Go to the Eastern Air Temple," Chun Chun said, looking at Sunny. "The world will listen if it's their Avatar speaking."

"Who's to say the world will listen any better than the Earth King?" Jiao-Long said bitterly. "We need an army, who out there is going to lend it to us."

"What's at the Eastern Air Temple?" Sunny asked.

"There's a master there, by the name of Gotami, who also happens to be the most talented spiritual guru of many generations. She is wise, and she is just, it may be that you don't need to master earthbending just yet, she could help you to unlock the power of the Avatar State. With the Avatar State the world will have to take notice."

The words seemed a little more forceful than Sunny had expected, and he could see just how deeply the situation in the Lower Ring affected Chun Chun. If he had known how the kid would grow up, perhaps he would have spent a little time teaching him better.

 **A/N: Sansetsu's tale has been cut into four parts rather than the three it was, after I decided to add a few more details throughout. I'll add the next part as soon as I've finished editing, and thank you for your reviews!**


	17. The Tale of Sansetsu: Part Three

Sunny's arrival in the Eastern Air Temple was met with much surprise from the people that called it home, not least of all because he offered quite a bizarre sight. The flying bison souring down towards one of the outer pagodas was not, in itself, an unusual occurrence. Air Nomads from the world over would often take rest in the Eastern Air Temple. It was known for offering some of the very best care for their tired bison, and where almost all of the bison used by the Air Nomads had been born and bred, some of the most prized bison being brought back especially for studding duties. Seeing a large male bison such as Bug Breath soar in was a welcome sight to some, but it was his rider that drew amazed stares. Sunny soared in, still wearing his dirty and stained robe, still sporting his Ba Sing Se braid, and with a determined look upon his face as he angled his bison in to land.

He was welcomed by three Air Nomad nuns who, upon seeing the stranger had hurried to greet him, or to turn him away should needs require.

"Afternoon, ladies!" Sunny called almost jovially, seeing the shocked looks on their faces when they took his appearance in. He dropped swiftly from Bug Breath's back, the bison letting out a low groan before he pushed his face against one of the nuns, no doubt eager for the treats she held hidden in her pocket.

"Welcome, traveler," one of the nuns said, taking a step forward, whilst the other not-so-discreetly offered Bug Breath all she had in her pocket, a smile on her face. "What Temple do you hail from? And-" she hesitated, looking at his dirty robes "- is it rest and shelter you require?"

"I'm from the North," Sunny replied. "And as you can see, I'm probably in need of a bit of both." He held his robes out with a wry smile. "But, actually, it's not what I came here for. I was told that there is a spiritual guru placed here, a nun by the name of Gotami?"

One of the nuns let out an irritated groan, before pulling some more berries from her pockets and handing them to the nun beside her who grinned triumphantly.

"You lose a bet?" Sunny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In a manner," the nun replied. "Air Nomads the world over used to come to the Eastern Temple for our hospitality and our tales. Now they just come for the guru."

"She's pretty popular then, huh?"

"She's a prodigy," the nun that originally spoke to him said, with admiration in her tone. "We are blessed to have her here. We should do well to remember that." She looked sideways at her companions, who rolled their eyes.

"Well, a prodigy is exactly who I need to see," Sunny replied eagerly.

"Then I will take to you see Mother Superior Tae Yun, master uh- sorry, what was your name?"

"Sansetsu," Sunny said with a bow. The nuns then gasped.

"The Avatar!"

"You can call me Sunny," he said hurriedly, sensing their shock. "I prefer things to be a little less formal, if it pleases you."

"Of course, Avatar Sansetsu," the nun said, almost immediately disregarding his request, her cheeks pink. "Please, follow me, my associates here will take care of your bison for you."

"See ya later, Bug," Sunny said, patting Bug Breath on the nose. The bison, however, seemed far too interested in the berries the nuns were hoarding to pay much attention.

He followed the nun through the courtyards and towards the central pagoda, where he was told he would find the residing Mother Superior. She acted as almost a tour guide, explaining different areas of the Temple to him as he listened with interest, noticing just how much greener this Temple was compared to the North. Of course, the North had a harsher climate to contend with, but almost every surface, every archway, every green area, was adorned with herbs and ivy, flowering climbing plants that drew insects and birds to it with it's sweet nectar. The place was, honestly, an oasis, and the nuns clearly felt very proud of the home that they had created for those that wished to stay, live, and train here. Sunny could very well see why the nun's of the Eastern Temple were renowned for being some of the friendliest and most spiritual of their people. It was hard not to be when you grew up in a place so beautiful.

Eventually Sunny was brought to the high ornate door to the chapter-house, which despite it's great size was pushed open with ease by the small nun leading him, and he was almost blown away yet again by the beauty of the room beyond. The high ceilings, the plant practically dripping from the surface, and the luscious dark stone chosen for the flooring created a dramatic sight.

"Mother Superior Tae Yun," the nun said, with a bow as the people standing at the center of the room deep in conversation looked up. "Introducing Avatar Sansetsu, ma'am. He has come here to speak with our spiritual guru."

Sunny smiled and bowed down at the woman, who stood hardly five foot tall, elderly and with a kind face. His gaze, however, was quickly drawn to one of the people that stood with her and he let out a loud bark of laughter.

"Well damn, Kade is that you?"

"Sunny?" Kade's voice was aghast, but he barely had enough time to take in Sunny's appearance before he marched up to him, reaching a large arm around his shoulder and drawing him close to him with a hug. "What are you doing here?" he asked, as Sunny held him at arm's length. "And why are you covered in dirt?"

"That is a long story, my friend," Sunny said with a grin, before letting go of Kade's shoulders and turning back to the Mother Superior. "My apologies, Mother Superior," he said with another bow. "It's wonderful to meet you too."

Tae Yun smiled back at him.

"It's good to have you here, Avatar."

Sunny looked back to Kade, still grinning whilst bemused Kade looked back. Kade had grown in the two and a bit years he had been away, and though he still wasn't even close to Sunny in height, he had least gotten a bit taller.

"What are you doing here?" Sunny asked.

"Well, actually, I live here now," Kade replied. "I've come here to train with Gotami and the other spiritual leaders at the Temple in order to confirm my residency in the North as one of the Masters."

It was then that Sunny noticed the robes that Kade wore, ceremonial and highly detailed, a wooden pendant hanging down his front just like his master in the North had used to wear.

"Well shit," Sunny said with a long low whistle, forgetting himself. "Looks like you made it, man."

Kade blushed, looking quickly over at Tae Yun. The elderly nun looked shocked.

"I, uh, do apologise for my friends colourful choice of words," Kade said quickly. "He forgets himself some times."

 _Ah yes_ , Sunny thought. After spending so much time in the South Pole he had clear forgot just how much he had had to censor himself around the Temples.

"We are pleased to have you here, Avatar Sansetsu, but I'm not sure our esteemed guru will be quite so tolerant of your language as we are," Tae Yun said. "I would also recommend that, perhaps, you find some fresh robes."

Sunny looked back down at his grubby clothes, before smiling wryly back at her. "Of course, Mother Superior. Actually, there is another reason that I am here. Not just to speak with the spirit guru."

Tae Yun's brow rose curiously, before she nodded for him to continue.

"I have come directly from Ba Sing Se," Sunny continued, his tone now becoming more serious. "I initially traveled there to begin my earthbending training, but Earth King Chan Wu deemed it fit to send me to spy on his own people in the Lower Ring."

He saw Tae Yun tense up, along with the airbenders around here. Even Kade seemed uncomfortable, and Sunny felt his heart drop. He wasn't going to be the first to tell them about what was going on in the Earth Kingdom capital.

"Chan Wu is using children," he pushed, trying to ignore their expressions. "He uses them in this mines as labour as payment for offering his poorest and most vulnerable people homes. These children ... many of them are injured, disfigured even, and there isn't a damn soul able to fight for them. The people of the Lower Ring are lost, and they are fearful, and they need the world to take notice. To offer them help."

Tae Yun sighed. "We are aware of what is happening in Ba Sing Se," she said heavily. "Some of our airbenders have even gone down to the city to offer help and medical assistance, and we have spared as much as we can to help them. But that is all we can do. We cannot fight the Earth King. It is not our nature, or our place."

Sunny's face fell, and he looked across at Kade who seemed determined to avoid his gaze.

"But people are dying," Sunny said, exasperated. "You can stand by and let that happen?"

"What the Earth King does with his subjects is not something that we can have say on," Tae Yun explained softly. "All we can do is offer aid to the people directly. I am sorry, Avatar Sansetsu."

Sunny felt his face redden.

"My advice to you," Tae Yun continued, "would be to continue your training. It is ill advised for you to attempt your spiritual training, least of all moving into the Avatar State, until you have mastered all four elements. You're simply not ready to take on the Earth King or deal with any other matters until then."

The urge to argue with the old woman was growing, and he knew that he likely looked like he was about to explode, but he kept his calm, breathing slowly through his nose.

"Master Kade," Tae Yun turned to his friend. "Perhaps you'd like to show our friend the sights? A little fresh air might do the Avatar some good. Oh, and perhaps some fresh robes too."

"Of course, Mother Superior," Kade said with a bow. Quickly he reached out and grabbed Sunny by the elbow, who inclined his head sharply to the woman before being dragged away, his head reeling. He waited until they were out of the chapter-house and into the wide expanse of courtyard outside before wrenching his arm from Kade, turning on him.

"Way to back me up there, buddy," he said, scowling down at him.

" _What_ do you think you're doing?" Kade hissed. "Have you gone completely mad in the two years you've been away?"

"Have I gone mad?" Sunny let out a loud laugh. "You're joking, right? I'm the only one around here who's behaving like a normal fucking human being!"

"That's not fair-"

"I mean, seriously, I used to think that you actually cared about people!"

Kade's face flushed. "I do, Sunny. I care very much. But Tae Yun is right, what are we supposed to do? The Air Nation hasn't an army! We're can't fight the Earth King!"

Sunny bristled, still glaring down at his friend. Kade, after a moment, let his shoulders sag, and he sighed.

"Look, let's ... let's get you a change of clothes, at least. We can talk more about this after."

Glowering, Sunny nodded minutely, before following Kade to the dormitories of the Temple and to what he presumed to be the room that Kade slept in. It had a wide open window that looked out over the gardens below, and was a noticeable upgrade on the lodgings they were used to keeping in the North. Sunny hung at the doorway, looking around as Kade headed to the wicker draws in the corner of his room.

"I'm not going to fit in any of your clothes," Sunny said, sneering. "You're still in the child's size, right?"

Kade rolled his eyes, before thrusting a handful of robes into his arms.

"Why'd I put up with you as kids?" he asked. "You were just as stubborn and obstinate then, too."

"Well, apparently you're a sucker for punishment," Sunny replied, stepping into the room before pulling his old dirty robes over his head and dropping them the bed. Kade, curiously, averted his eyes to the open window. "I mean, don't you want to explore the world a little first before committing to be an old fart at the Temples?"

"I've got my dreams, Sunny, and you've got yours," Kade replied simply, before hesitantly looking in his direction as Sunny pulled on the clean britches. Predictably, they were a little short, but his boots covered it well. "So, how did it go at the South Pole?"

"You care?"

Kade flushed again. "Why would I not? We used to be friends. Best friends."

"Yep, used to be," Sunny agreed, a little more vehemently than he anticipated. He looked back over his shoulder at the airbender, and saw the way his expression dropped, his shoulders sagging and his eyes darkening. With a groan he rubbed his face.

"Alright, I'm sorry, ok? I just ... I can't believe that no one cares about those people in Ba Sing Se. I would have thought the Air Nomads, if anybody, would have wanted to help."

"We have," Kade insisted. "You just weren't listening. We've got a garden that we've created specifically to provide food to the people in the Lower Ring. We are doing all we can right now."

"It's not good enough, Kade."

Kade shook his head, before sitting on his bed. "You want to help these people? Continue your training. Go to your earthbending teacher. Master firebending, then come back here and see what difference you can make as a fully realised Avatar."

"They can't wait for that," Sunny said exasperated. "And besides, finding a master earthbender isn't going to be easy."

"Why?"

"Because oh so benevolent Earth King Chan Wu has banished me from the Earth Kingdom."

"What?!"

"I challenged him on what was happening in the Lower Ring," Sunny explained. "He said if I didn't serve him, the Earth King, then I could kiss my chances of finding a master in the Earth Kingdom goodbye."

"That's ... wow."

"Right? Presently my training is on hold until I can work out how to either kick the Earth King's ass, or I find someone else to teach me. So, I may as well chat to your spirit guru whilst I'm here. Maybe I don't need earth and fire if I can go into the Avatar State."

Kade pulled a face, looking like he was going to start arguing with him again, before letting out a defeated puff of air.

"She might not teach you," he said warily. "Just keep that in mind. But, I suppose, if anyone is going to be able to teach you how to go into the Avatar State it'll be Gotami."

"Let's go meet her then, huh?"

Half an hour later, Sunny followed Kade up a narrow flight of stairs that led to the Eastern Air Temple's famed library. Sunny had heard a great deal about it during his childhood, and though he had been to the Temple to pick out Bug Breath as a child, he had yet had a chance to explore the huge amount of knowledge that was promised to be found in the library. He was curious, he had half expected Kade to lead him to one of the gardens, but apparently Gotami spent as much time in the library as she did in the spirit world. Kade spoke of her in almost breathless wonder, his admiration of the woman clear. Sunny had even teased that perhaps Kade had a thing for her, but he had just laughed and said that she wasn't his type. And so, in his naivety, he fully expected to find an older nun.

Kade knocked on the door of the library before entering. "Gotami," he said softly, and with a smile. "Someone else has traveled here to see you."

Sunny stepped up beside him, a light smile on his face, only to find himself feeling as though he had walked into a wall. His heart seemed to stop, his hands growing numb, and his mouth dry. Gotami, who leaned against one of the book cases, looked up from the book she was reading, her large silver eyes flashing in the candlelight. Her straight black hair grew almost down to her hips, dressed in floor length red and orange robes, a wooden pendant hanging low around her chest. Her eyes pierced his, and he felt for a moment as though he may pass out. He had never seen anyone more beautiful in his entire life.

"Master Gotami, this is Avatar Sansetsu. Sunny, this is Gotami."

He swallowed, hoping that his face didn't look quite as dumb as it felt. Gotami smiled, and he felt practically giddy.

"Hello Avatar Sansetsu," she said. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"It'sniceta-" his voice came out high and garbled and, face blushing, he cleared his throat. "I mean, uh, it's nice to meet you too."

She held out her hand to take his, and in a moment of gallant foolishness, he took it and pressed it to his lips. Kade's eyebrows rose, and even Gotami seemed a little taken aback. He flushed again, dropping her hand and quickly rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, uh, Avatar Sansetsu said he's come here to seek spiritual guidance," Kade said, looking between the two of them.

"Is that right?" Gotami's voice was lyrical, as light and fragrant as she was. "Tell me, Avatar Sansetsu, have you mastered all four elements yet?"

"More or less," Sunny replied, before he could stop himself. "Uh, well mostly less. So, uh, no, is the answer to the question." He wanted to slap himself around the face.

A ghost of a grin played on her lips, but she recovered well. "But why would the Avatar come to me for spiritual guidance if he has not, as of yet, mastered all four elements?"

Sunny glanced sideways at Kade, who seemed to be looking at him with little less than horror at the poor way that he was handling the situation.

"Truthfully? I want to help some people. And I don't think they can wait another four years whilst I master the last two elements."

Gotami's brows rose, looking surprised. Her face searched his for a long moment, leaving him feeling as though he may suffocate in the heat rising from his collar, before finally nodding her head.

"I'll teach you what I can," she said at last. "I cannot promise that I can teach you everything, mastering earth and fire is more than just being able to bend. The Avatar is not complete without all four of his elements. He encompasses not just his native element, but the four combined, and I am afraid that until you master earth and fire you will feel as though part of you is missing."

"Well, I'm ready to fill my empty spaces with, uh, with spirit ... stuff." He groaned, rubbing his hand over his eyes whilst Gotami looked sideways at Kade.

"Is this ... normal for him?"

"You have no idea," Kade sighed.

Avatar Sansetsu spent the next several months training with Gotami in the Eastern Air Temple, much to the frustration of Kade and the Mother Superior. Sunny knew that he should be putting much more focus into finding a new earthbending teacher, and progressing to fire, but the truth was he had no intention of walking away from the people in the Lower Ring. It plagued him, even in his dreams he would see children trapped in mines, whilst Chan Wu laughed and whipped at them, and he grew only more determined to master the Avatar State so that he could swiftly bring the Earth King to justice. Kade worried for him, and he realised that Kade had slowed down on his own training just so he could keep a close eye on him, and as guilty as he felt for it, it also felt nice to have someone around that he could talk to.

His training with Gotami was slow going, and it was hard not to feel frustrated. It felt to Sunny that nothing came easy to him. He had struggled with airbending more than Kade, it had taken him years to master waterbending, and getting in touch with his spiritual side was proving to be just as difficult. But Gotami was a patient teacher, and assured him that he was still making progress even when he didn't realise it. For Sunny, spending so much one-on-one time with her was both a blessing and a curse. He had liked Nahkta, but he realised that it was so much more than that with his spiritual teacher. His heart leapt whenever she made eye contact with him, he felt light-headed whenever she laughed, and he found his eyes practically glued to her whenever he was in her presence. On several occasions over the next few months he considered making his move. He had it all planned out, he'd wait until they were alone, perhaps one of their late night training sessions, and he could amaze her with his waterbending, turning the water into snow, she'd laugh and say how beautiful it was ... and he would say how it was nothing compared to her and-

"You know she's sworn celibacy, right?"

Sunny looked over, his face blank. He had just been explaining his plan to Kade who had a frown on his face as he sat cross-legged on the end of his bed, trying to meditate.

"What?"

"She's celibate," Kade sighed, shoulder sagging as he opened his eyes and looked sideways at him. "It's not going to happen."

"How do you know?" Sunny demanded, sitting up. Over the last few months he and Kade had begun to rekindle their close friendship, and as much as he knew he infuriated Kade at times, he also knew how to make his friend laugh. He honestly felt that Kade needed that, after seeing how dull and serious he had grown without him the last few years.

"Because she a spiritual leader," Kade said slowly, as if he were explaining it to a child. "How're you supposed to reach enlightenment without celibacy? She can't be tied down with a relationship, that's sort of the point."

Sunny blinked, frowning. No, she'd have mentioned it, surely.

"Nah," he said finally, before sitting up. "How's she supposed to resist all this?" He gestured to himself and, for a moment Kade sat straight faced, before bursting into laughter.

"She is completely out of your league," he managed, almost through tears. "She is literally the most beautiful woman in the Temple. Probably any Temple. You've got no chance."

"I knew you had a thing for her," Sunny shot back.

"And I've told you before she's not my type," Kade replied, rolling his eyes.

"What, beautiful, smart, spiritual? She literally couldn't be more your type."

Kade shot him a frustrated look, before getting to his feet. "Tell you what, you try out that plan of yours tonight then get back to me. I'll be waiting with baited breath."

Sunny held up his hand, middle finger aloft, as Kade left the room, before he too got to his feet. He had a lot to be doing that day, and not just trying to court Gotami.

He had, in secret perhaps, been practicing earth and firebending, over the last few months. It was difficult, not least of all because he had no instruction. It had been said, on many occasions, that earthbending would probably suit his stubborn personality best, and he had bent rock for the first time with little difficulty, but maintaining any kind of control of it was another matter entirely. And as for fire ... well, lighting a flame was no problem for him, he found simply thinking about the Earth King was enough to fill his stomach with rage, and his fire burned strongly with that. But the flame seemed so eager to spread, to expand, to go beyond what he could manage. He would tentatively light small flames in his palms, but could never let it grow beyond his grip. It was frustrating, he knew how to use the elements, but without a master to teach him he had no idea what he ought to be doing. Not for the first time, he felt like a failure.

That night, he sat with Gotami in one of the gardens, easing his breathing as he had learned to do, allowing his mind to calm. Her hope, at this stage, was to help him pass into the Spirit World, with the belief that doing so would put him in touch with his spiritual center, and allow him to connect to his Avatar spirit. It made sense, in a weird spirity way, so he was going along with it. He had felt as though he had almost crossed on several occasions previous, his mind feeling as it was suddenly wading through thick custard, but he just could take that final step out of this world and into the other. Tonight, though, would prove to be different.

"Just follow my voice, Sansetsu," Gotami said, and he focused on the soothing sound. He had never been keen on the name Sansetsu, but in her voice it sounded beautiful and as such he never complained that she called him it. "Reach out towards my energy, and follow me through."

He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar sensation of wading through custard, but a shining light seemed to stand ahead of him, swirling with beauty, and eagerly he followed, feeling his feet suddenly becoming much lighter. Then, with a gasp, he opened his eyes, finding himself sat in an unfamiliar landscape, a cold breeze washing over him and causing his braid to fly. He looked around, climbing swiftly to his feet, eyes with wonder as he looked at the rich emerald grass below his feet, the pearly pink and purple sky above him.

"You did it."

He looked over his shoulder to see Gotami standing there, an encouraging smile on her face. Her form shimmered slightly, making it clear that her physical body was not present, and he looked down at his own hands, noticing the way the light seemed to pass right through him.

"It's ..." He looked around once more. "It's not what I expected," he admitted.

"What did you expect?"

He hummed to himself, reaching down to press a hand against the grass. His hands didn't truly connect, but he could feel it's soft texture none-the-less.

"I suppose something darker," he replied, before looking back up at her. Gotami smiled.

"There are dark places here, just as there are in our world," she explained. "But the spiritual energy around us has a lot to do with that. The spirits themselves have the ability to shape the world around them, some more so than others."

"The Avatar spirit too?"

"The Avatar spirit is the most powerful."

He stood straight again, before he noticed movement in the corner of his eyes, looking back to see a small white creature appear, it's eyes wide with wonder, long ears pressed flush against it's body.

"Why hello there, little one," Gotami said, walking forward and crouching down in front of the creature.

"Guys," the rabbit-like animals called in a high voice, "it's ok, it's the pretty lady again. And she has a friend!"

Sunny started as several more of the creatures revealed themselves to him, all brightly coloured, some flying in the air with the assistance of their long ears, eyes large and inquisitive.

"Who are you?" one of them asked, blue in colour and hovering in front of Sunny.

"My name is Sunny," he replied, after a nod of encouragement from Gotami. "I'm the Avatar."

A gasp filled the air, before several of the bunnies spiraled excitedly in the air.

"The Avatar! She's back!"

"She?" Sunny blinked. Gotami laughed.

"The Avatar spirit," she explained. "She's female."

"Huh."

"Where have you been?" the white bunny asks, taking to the air now. "You look different from before, do you have a new body again?"

"Yep, I am the new and improved Avatar," Sunny said with a grin to the excitably creatures. "And I've been training."

"Wow ..." the spirits flew around him, some of them tugging on his robes, another picking up his braid, as if trying to get a better look at him.

"How are things fairing in the spirit world, my little friends?" Gotami asked, getting their attention. At this, some of the spirits suddenly seemed nervous, looking between themselves. Sunny looked across with interest.

"Tonrar has been back," one of the spirits said, in a hushed voice. "We've seen him, haven't we?"

"He's spooky," another agreed. "He's been in the city over the hill. You need to be careful, pretty lady."

"Who's Tonrar?" Sunny asked, with a frown.

"Tonrar is one of the dark spirits that prowls this area," Gotami replied. "He's not been seen for hundreds of years, but recently he's been more active again." She suddenly reached out, grabbing his hands. "Come, let me show you something."

Knowing that his cheeks had grown pink, he followed her, and though he knew that his spirit form was not physical, he could still feel the gentle warmth of her palm. They climbed up steep hill that became a cliff, and when they reached the top Sunny could only gasp. Ahead of them a wide desert lay, the sand a rich yellow that seemed to burn brighter than the sun, and in it's center stood unmistakably a large white city.

"Isn't it incredible?" Gotami breathed, and he realised that she still had hold of his hand, his heart racing pleasantly.

"Did spirits build this?" he asked, looking across at the beautiful sight. Gotami shook her head.

"No, it was created by humans perhaps thousands of years ago," she said, her voice hushed. "There was a time when entering the spirit world with your physical body was possible, and hundreds of refugees flocked to the spirit world to escape the wars in their own. It was a haven, for a time."

"What happened?"

"Wherever humans go, conflict follows," she replied with a sigh. "There were too many, and the spirits grew unhappy with their presence, and the humans with theirs. Eventually the people of the city were driven out."

But Sunny had a frown on his face, looking at the city, his thoughts racing and his chest swelling with a singular idea.

"It _is_ a haven," he agreed. "People could live here peacefully. Away from the reach of the Earth King."

Gotami snatched her hand from his, sharply, and he looked across at her in surprise.

"No, Sansetsu," she said firmly, eyes wide as she shook her head. "The spirit world is too dangerous, the city even more so. The dark spirit, Tonrar, he will trap the souls of any human that he can, and it has been rumoured that the city is his home."

"So, this Tonrar," Sunny said, failing to heed her warnings. "If he's the problem, then maybe the Avatar should speak with him." Then, all at once, he felt Gotami grab his hand again as the world around him suddenly dissolved, and painfully he came crashing back to the mortal world.

"You cannot." He looked up to see Gotami looking down at him, her eyes ablaze. "People do not belong in the spirit world, Sansetsu. There is a reason our worlds are separate." And before he could say a word she had turned on her heel, floating back to the high arched corridors of the Temple, leaving Sunny sat on the ground, scowling.

Later that night, Sunny sat on his bed, his legs crossed and his hands pressed together as he shut his eyes in meditation. He considered Gotami's words, and her warning, and though he had no doubt that she knew the spirit world better than any other person living, he couldn't help but think that the city in the desert could be the answer to all his problems. Eventually, his brow furrowing, he opened his eyes. "Tsula."

A heartbeat later, the spirit materialized in the middle of his room, a gentle smile on his face as he bowed his head in greeting.

"Avatar Sansetsu," he said. "I'm glad to hear from you again."

"Tsula, I needed to ask you a question, about the spirit world."

"Ah, that is a specialist subject of mine," Tsual replied with a wry smile, and Sunny was momentarily taken back, before he shook his head with a small laugh.

"Right. I passed into the spirit world today-"

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. But when I was there, I saw this huge city in the desert."

Tsula's face twitched, and the change in his countenance was not missed by Sunny, who frowned.

"You know about it?"

"Of course," Tsula said, quickly. He seemed uncomfortable for a moment, before the slow wide smile came to his lips once more. "Humans once lived there, but many spirits drove them out. It's a difficult part of our history."

Assuming that this was the reason for Tsula's sudden discomfort, Sunny pushed on. "Gotami told me that it wasn't possible for humans to live there ... that our worlds are separate for a reason."

"She's correct, more or less," Tsula replied. "But things change, and who better to bring about such change than the Avatar?"

"That's what I said," Sunny said, throwing his hands in the air, before looking down at his knees in frustration. "Besides, it seems like there is one spirit that would stop us, a spirit by the name of Tonrar." If Sunny had been paying attention, he would have seen the slight curl of Tsula's lip, the gentle raise of his brow. "What do you know of him? Is there any chance that he could be reasoned with? Could people live in the spirit world after all?"

Tsula placed a hand to his chin, thinking deeply.

"I know of the spirit you mention", he said at long last. "There is no denying that he is dangerous, but any spirit can be reasoned with. I can only speak for the spirits more like myself, but we would welcome humans to the spirit world if it meant they could escape from war here in your world. My advice to you, Avatar Sansetsu, would be to follow where your heart takes you. Stick with your beliefs. You have the power to make anything happen, if you want it enough."

From that point on, Sunny began to devise a plan. Though Gotami was still concerned about Sunny's interest in the spirit world and city within it, she continued his training until he was able to pass into the spirit world as he pleased, and Sunny kept it quiet from her that he was, in actual fact, on the lookout for the mysterious spirit Tonrar. He had no doubt that it was dangerous, he wasn't about to disregard anything that Gotami had told him about the spirit, but when Sunny set his sights on something it was very difficult for him to move on.

Kade, for all the support he offered, was just as nervous about Sunny's interest in the spirit world as Gotami was. He frequently tried to find out what it was Sunny wanted there, but with a shrug he had just said it was 'Avatar business' and nothing for anyone to worry about. Somehow, that only made Kade worry more. For the following handful of months, things continued with relative peace, until one day an airbender careered in on her bison, changing everything.

Sunny was standing in the gardens, showing off his bending to Kade, when he saw the bison coming in fast. The pair of them looked up, concerned. It was fairly common for airbenders to pass by the Temple, or to stay there for a few days, but seeing someone flying with such speed and purpose wasn't. The pair ran towards the couple as they landed, a flustered airbender dropping from saddle, and one that Sunny recognised.

"Dema!"

She stopped, her eyes wide and panting for breath.

"Avatar Sansetsu! Thank the spirits you're here! We thought, after you didn't come back, that maybe the Earth King had got you too."

"No, I came here to get help," Sunny replied, before- "Wait, what do you mean got me _too?_ "

Dema looked up at him, and her eyes sparkled with tears.

"It's Chun Chun," she said breathlessly. "They captured him."

 **A/N: Like Sansetsu, or hate him, things are about to go really bad for our past Avatar. Advance warning for some graphic stuff to come.**


	18. The Tale of Sansetsu: Part Four

**A/N: Sansetsu's backstory is now in five parts rather than four.**

Sunny stood, his hands hidden under his robes to hide the way they had clenched into fists and shook, his breathing unsteady as he tried to steady himself. He, Kade, Gotami, the Mother Superior and her head nuns were joined by Dema in the chapter-house, the girl holding a mug of steaming tea in her unsteady hands as she recounted the details of what had happened in Ba Sing Se. She had said since the Avatar had left the city, security in the Lower Ring had only gotten worse, with guards patrolling day and night. People were no longer allowed to meet in groups larger than three, any clothing that covered the face was banned, and people were being arrested left right and center for _'discussing matter of the Earth King'_. She and Chun Chun had stayed, not wanting to abandon the people they were trying to help, but inevitably the time had come when they had been spotted. She had assumed Chun Chun was right behind her, only to realise when it was too late that the guards had snatched him from right under her. There were rumours as to what the Earth King would do with conspirators, from imprisonment right to torture and death, but no one knew exactly what would happen to Chun Chun now that he had been caught. Dema was, understandably, frightened for his life. The Mother Superior, however, had a far colder outlook on the situation, and Sunny found himself in a state of disbelief as he listened to her speak.

"You were told, both of you, the risks of staying in the Lower Ring," Tae Yun said, her voice shaking just a fraction. "It is regrettable what has happened to brother Chun Chun, but we had warned him time and time again not to meddle with the Earth King's business."

Dema's face burned, her hands shaking even more.

"But ... Mother Superior, please ... we were trying to help-"

"And it is commendable," Tae Yun sighed. "But these current turn of events have not come unexpected."

"So, we're just going to leave him there?"

It was Sunny who spoke now, and the group turned to look at him.

"It isn't bad enough that the Earth King is torturing children, now he captures one of our own and we're just going to sit with our thumbs up our ass?"

"Avatar Sansetsu," Tae Yun said, exasperated, "I have told you this time and time again too, we are a peaceful people! As a Nation we practice what we preach, and we will not challenge the Earth King."

"No," Sunny said, with a scoff. "As a Nation we ignore the problems of the world, whilst flouncing about like we're better than everyone else."

"Sunny!" Kade warned sharply, but Sunny rounded on him, eyebrows raised.

"What, you agree with this old gasbag?" He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the Mother Superior. He turned to look back at everyone else. "Not one of you is going to stand up for the citizens of Ba Sing Se? For Chun Chun?"

But no one spoke, Kade averting his gaze. Gotami shutting her eyes, the head nuns looking only to the Mother Superior. Dema's face fell, tears sparkling in her eyes once more, and Sunny could only laugh.

"What an example we are to the world," he spat, before turning on his heal and marching back to his room. His mind raced, he couldn't believe that no one, not even Kade, was willing to help him, willing to risk their lives to save a kid that was once their friend. He shut himself in his room, beginning to pace.

A few minutes later, he heard the tentative knock on his door, and he growled.

"Sunny?" It was Kade. Figured. "Come on, let us in, we need to talk."

He wrenched the door open, seeing Kade and Gotami in the doorway. For a moment his eyes connected with Gotami, and for all her beauty and all he admired he, he found himself feeling only disappointment.

"Oh, you want to talk now?" he scoffed, before stepping back into the room, waving his hand. "Well, make yourselves comfortable, that's what you Air Nomads are best at."

"Sunny, you're an Air Nomad too-"

"No, I'm the Avatar," Sunny interrupted. "And as such my duties, my beliefs, cannot be confined to this ridiculous lifestyle we have forced onto us."

"This is bigger than us," Kade said, throwing his hands into the air. "You can continue insulting your culture all you like, but the fact remains a handful of airbenders are not going to be able to take down the Earth King! I get it, Sunny, I do. I want Chun Chun back. I want to stop all the suffering in the world, but we just don't have the strength."

"A handful? Kade, there are _thousands_ of us across the world!"

"The Air Nomads are not fighters," Gotami said now, her voice soft. "Most of us don't even know how to fight. If you gathered an army of airbenders to fight the King you'll be sending them to their deaths, you do know that, right?"

Sunny's face flushed, and he looked away, not willing to admit to her that he hadn't considered that. That he hadn't thought beyond challenging to Earth King. It was then that he realised that he had known all along. It was not up to the Air Nomads. It was up to him.

"Then I go alone," he said, his voice low and level. "I kill Chan Wu myself."

The silence that followed was deafening, his friends shocked to hear such a violent threat coming from his mouth.

"Sunny ..." Kade's voice was weak, and he walked up to him, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "Please, see reason. You can't fight the Earth King! You haven't even learned how to earth or firebend yet and ... I have to believe ... you're not capable of ending another person's life."

Sunny turned back to him, eyes eyes blazing as he pulled his arm from Kade's grip. With a deep breath, he lit a fire in one palm, and pulled a chunk of stone from the wall with the other.

"You continue to underestimate me, Kade," he said coldly, as the pair stepped back. "Now get the fuck out of my sight."

Kade looked like he was going to argue, but Gotami put her hand on his shoulder. The pain on Kade's face was obvious to see, but Sunny turned away, clenching his fists as the fire faded and the stone dropped to the ground before, with a wave of his hand, he bent the door shut in their faces, before dropping to his bed, seething. How could they tell him, with a straight face, that there wasn't enough Air Nomads to help? How could they continue to come up with excuses as to why they couldn't help? He had always believed Kade to be one of the strongest of them, the bravest of them, yet he had grown weak. Weak and too afraid to disappoint his masters, to challenge his culture. It was pathetic. But Kade had been right about one thing ... he might not be able to fight the Earth King. It had been an empty threat, when he had revealed the little that he had grasped of earth and firebending, and though they didn't know that his skills went scarcely further than what he had done, he knew it. He could pass into the spirit world, but going into the Avatar State was still beyond him. How could he storm the Palace with just air and waterbending alone? Avatar or no, he couldn't face an army.

"I may be able to help you, Sansetsu." He jumped, looking round to see that Tsula standing at the end of his bed, his hands clasped at his front.

"How did you get here?" Sunny asked. "I didn't call you."

"You didn't need to," Tsula replied. "I could sense your pain, and it's cause. Your fight is just, Avatar, do not let your people tell you otherwise, and I believe that I can help you."

"Help me how?"

Tsula seemed to hesitate, his face contorting for a moment. "It is ... unconventional. It may even be dangerous. But it would allow you to pass into the Avatar State, and give you the power you need to face the Earth King, to end him if that is what is required."

"Tell me how."

"It would require both of us," Tsula continued. "The Avatar State thrives on spiritual energy, and I believe that we can combine our energies, giving your Avatar spirit the power that she needs."

Sunny frowned. "Combine our energies?" He rubbed the back of his head. It sounded dangerous, it sounded risky, but he was desperate. "How would that work?"

"I have never combined my energy with the Avatar's before," Tsula replied. "And I cannot promise you that it won't be uncomfortable, painful even, to go into the Avatar State for the first time, especially doing so in this way. Are you willing to try?"

Sunny got to his feet. "I have to."

Together, Sunny and Tsula traveled to the walls of the Ba Sing Se that night. Under cover of darkness, Sunny had ushered Bug Breath from his stable, keeping a keen eye around him for anyone who may spot him. To his relief, the three of them were not seen, and with Tsula sat on the saddle behind him, his wispy robes flowing in the wind, they had departed, flying as fast as they could to the capital.

By early morning they had soured over the outer wall, over the large expanse of fields that fed the citizens inside, _or some of the citizens_ , Sunny that thought to himself as they passed. He saw clearly the wooden shambles of the mines, quiet at this time of the day, and he considered for a moment laying waste to the place. But doing so would only alert the Earth King to his arrival, and he had no time for that. It was only a matter of time before he was spotted flying over the Capital, after all, and the Earth Kingdom army was efficient if not brutal. He was to find out just how brutal far quicker than he expected as, souring over the Upper Ring, he saw the crowd of soldiers already in place below him, and he was forced to yank on the reins as a torrent of rocks were fired into the air in his direction.

"Whoa, Bug, whoa!" Bug Breath groaned, struggling against Sunny's control over the reins, and clearly terrified. "Ok, bud, I'm gonna jump. You go find yourself a nice hill to hold up in. I'll be back for you!"

"If we're going to do this, Sansetsu, it must be now," Tsula called, and Sunny looked back to him, nodded. Tsula closed her eyes, reaching his palms out towards Sunny, before they curled into claws and Sunny felt pain like he had never experienced before rushing through him.

He had screamed, he knew that much, his body feeling as thought it was on fire, his limbs shaking and his skin crawling, reaching out to grab his head, but in a moment the pain passed, and with a gasp he felt the power. It spread across him like a hot flame, before his entire body from his fingers to his toes buzzed, a bright light spreading around him and he realised, with clarity, that he was finally in the Avatar State. His mind, though focused, felt fuzzy around the edges. He could see his goals, he could control his movements, he could feel his own soul crying out to him with ecstasy, yet there were voices there, voices that were not his own, whispering to him. He leaped from Bug's saddle, and kicked at the rock fired directly at him, shearing it in two. He grinned, he couldn't help himself, the power was incredible.

The ground shook as he landed, sending shock waves across the courtyard that knocked most of the soldiers off their feet, the stone heaving below them. He stood straight, his fists clenched, taking in the sight before him.

" _I'm here for the Earth King,_ " he said, his voice roaring with the sound of all the past Avatar's before him, his eyes and tattoos glowing bright blue. The soldiers looked back at him with fear in the eyes, before starting the attack. Firing the sharp bullets of earth towards him, attempting to encase him in a stone prison, but Sunny stepped back onto his left heal, before firing a gust of wind out around him, catching the entire battalion and throwing them several feet into the air and away, screaming as they went. He took a moment to assure himself that he had not thrown them far enough to have killed any of them, before stalking forwards, pulling water from the streams that ran down the length of the courtyard and using it to swat away any attempt that the soldiers made to attack him, before breaking down the doors of the Palace with another burst of wind, stepping into the hallway.

He heard screams, he saw dignitaries running for cover, he saw soldiers foolishly try to stand against him, but Sunny could not be stopped. One brave soldier managed to sneak through his defense, a hand of rock firing towards him and grabbing the Avatar by the arm, trying to pin him to the ground. Sunny felt his rage souring, and with a snarl he pulled himself free, before throwing the man back against the wall. His rage brought fire to his finger tips, and as he swiped the tapestries caught alight, smoke beginning to fill the hall as more screams came. His face a grimace, Sunny broke down the doors of the throne room.

" _Earth King Chan Wu! It is time to pay for what you have done!_ "

But it was not Chan Wu who say on the throne. Instead, a young man sat there, no older than himself, his hands shaking but his chin held high as he looked back at the glowing ferocious form of the Avatar.

"The Earth King is not here!" the boy said firmly. "But I know what my father would say to you right now, Avatar Sansetsu. We will not give in to terrorists! We will not give in the outlaw Avatar! We will not be forced into defeat!"

" _Where is he?_ " Sunny snarled. " _You will tell me what I need to know!_ "

"I will not betray my father," the boy said, sitting firm on the throne. He was terrified, Sunny could see that, but he would not budge, his jaw held tight as he held up against the full force of the Avatar.

" _You're just a boy,_ " Sunny said, grimacing, his body feeling weak for the first time.

 _NO!_ A voice rose up in his head, a voice that sounded just like Tsula's. _This is your chance, Sansetsu! You want to punish the Earth King? Punish him for using children? What more just a way than to take his son from him? Do it! DO IT NOW._

For a moment, he tried to disagree, to step back out of the Avatar State, but a burst of rage flew through him, and he stepped forwards, all control gone. It was beyond anything he could imagine, how anyone could feel as much anger as he did then, raising his hands as the boy's eyes grew wide, the air being drawn from his lungs. He watched as the boy held an arm out, as if trying to reach out for him, tears streaming down his face as he collapsed on the stone, one hand on his throat as he gasped. Then, it was over, the Earth King's son fell silent, his hand falling limply to the ground, and wind dying down as Sunny finally came out of the Avatar State.

He could feel the heat behind him as the flames filled the corridors, a loud whistling in his hears as he looked down at the boy lying dead at his feet.

"No ..." he choked, falling to his knees, eyes wide and hands shaking. "No, no ... what have I done?"

"What you needed to do." He looked around to see Tsula standing beside him, his face morose as he looked down at the dead boy with regret. "I am sorry, Avatar Sansetsu. I am so sorry."

Sunny felt his world crashing down around him. The screams in the hallways only vaguely heard as he looked down at the boy whose life he had cut short. Who he had killed with own hands, and it was all he could do not to scream, not to cry out and howl his pain. But he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up through watery eyes to the spirit. His expression was paternal, and he felt almost safe for a moment.

"You need to go," the spirit said. "They will come for you."

After another moments hesitation, Sunny climbed to his feet, before running back down the hallway, pulling the bison whistle from the front of his robes and blowing. Bug Breath's roar could be heard as he flew back down to the courtyard, and Sunny jumped onto his saddle, trying not to look at the destruction he had caused, the people passed out on the stone.

"Yip yip!"

When he arrived back at the Temple, his panic ran deep, unable to prevent the image of the boys red face as he gasped for air from searing into his brain. The screams of the guards and the people that lived in the Palace burning his eardrums, and even as Bug Breath landed on the pagoda, he all but fell from the saddle, his body shaking uncontrollably, before he vomited on the ground.

"Sunny!"

He looked up, dizzy, to see Kade running towards him, shock on his face.

"Kade ..." he managed, weakly, taking a step forward, reaching out to his friend. "Kade, help-" But his strength gave out, and he collapsed on the ground, all going to black.

When Sunny woke, it was to a dull pain across his entire body, stinging shadows of the power of the Avatar State that he had used so violently the day before. His head hurt, feeling fuzzy as if he had woken up from a long dream, and he groaned, raising his hand to his temple.

"Sunny!"

He heard Kade's voice, worried, before he felt warm hands on his arm.

"Kade?"

He heard his friends laugh of relief, and distinctly the sound of sniffing, as though the man had been crying. Squinting, Sunny opened his eyes, realising that he lay on his own bed, in his own room, the early morning light filtering in through his window whilst Kade sat at his side, heavy bags under his eyes.

"How do you feel?"

He shut his eyes tight once more, trying hard to remember what had caused the pain, why he was lying in his bed feeling as though he had been run over by ten bison when, with a gasp, it all came back to him. The power of the Avatar State, the look on the face of the Earth King's son as the air was drawn from his lungs, the smell of the fire burning the Palace. He sat up, breathing heavily, a shaking hand raising to cover his mouth and he scrunched his face up against the pain.

"Oh spirits ..." he managed. "Kade, I- I fucked up. I fucked up big time."

"What do you mean?"

He kept his eyes shut, before shaking his head minutely, unable to comprehend how he could possibly explain what had happened, and how he could tell Kade, of all people, of what he had done.

"You went to Ba Sing Se, didn't you?"

Sunny nodded.

"Did you find Chun Chun?"

He felt sick, swearing under his breath. In all that had happened, with the power of the Avatar State rushing through him, he had completely forgotten all that he had intended to do, his entire being obsessed with revenge. He hadn't even tried to find Chun Chun, and spirits knows what would happen to the boy now that he, Avatar Sansetsu, had murdered the Earth King's son.

"Sunny?"

"No," he replied, his voice thick. "I didn't."

"Hey ..." Kade leaned forwards, reaching out and pulling his hand away from his mouth. His eyes met Kade's, and he could see the worry in them, wide with earnest to help him, to fix him, to stop his pain. Kade squeezed his hand slightly. "We can fix this, ok? Whatever it is. Just tell me what happened?"

He couldn't tear his eyes from Kade's, and despite his fear he felt comforted by his friends presence.

"I went to Ba Sing Se," he managed at last, his voice hoarse. "And when I was there I-" he swallowed. "I went into the Avatar State."

Kade's eyes widened minutely, but he didn't interrupt, squeezing Sunny's hand once more to encourage him to continue.

"I went to the Palace," he continued. "To find the Earth King. But when I got there, it wasn't him on the throne, but his son."

"They must have expected some sort of fall out for capturing Chun Chun," Kade sighed. "Of course the Earth King was hiding. What did you say to him?"

But Sunny started to shake again, and Kade looked at him in alarm. "No," he said, shaking his head violently. "I- in the Avatar State I was just so ... angry. I had no control, I burned the Palace and I ... I killed him. I killed his son."

Kade dropped his hand so fast, as if it had burned him, and got to his feet, knocking his stool to the ground. The horror, and the pain on Kade's face was almost too much for Sunny to bear, but he couldn't look away.

"Kade, I-" But Kade turned his back to him, turning to face the window.

"Shit," the man whimpered. "Shit!"

It was the swearing that took Sunny mostly by surprise, Kade had never sworn, had never lost control, and for a moment he felt like a child. He saw Kade raise both his hands to his head, and he grew even more fearful. Scared that he had lost his friend. Finally Kade turned back to him, his eyes red and pained.

"I made a mistake," Sunny said, his voice quiet. "The Avatar State was too powerful for me to control."

Kade shook his head. "I've tried, Sunny," he said, his voice breaking. "I've tried so so hard. To help you, to support you, to be your friend when you continued to drive everyone else away time and time again. I only let myself see the best in you, I was blinded because I-" he stopped, fear passing across his features for a moment before he swallowed. "You have no idea how hard it is."

Sunny looked down at his hands, shamed.

"I'm sorry, Kade," he said. "I know I don't deserve it, I know you have every right to turn away from me right now, but I need you. I need help."

Kade walked back across the room, grabbing the stool and placing it back beside him, his breathing unsteady. Sunny glanced back up to him, seeing him rub his face as if deep in thought.

"The Earth King is going to want revenge," he said at long last. "He'll kill Chun Chun, that's if he hasn't already."

Sunny scrunched his face up again, before he heard Kade sigh heavily, as though he had made up his mind.

"I know what I can do," he said, and Sunny looked up sharply. "Just ... trust _me_ for once, won't you?"

"What are you going to do?" Sunny asked, reaching out now and grabbing Kade's arm, his own voice panicked. "Kade, promise me you won't go there!"

"You need to rest," Kade said, looking away from him and getting back to his feet. But Sunny's head was swimming, and he too got to his feet, taking two wide steps before standing in the way of Kade and the door. His body felt weak, and he knew that his legs were shaking, but he couldn't let Kade leave, he couldn't live with that.

"Kade, fuck, just promise me you won't go there!"

Kade's eyes searched his, but before he could say anything, Sunny felt his legs start to buckle, and he swore once more, reaching out to grab the bed before he fell to his knees. Kade was at his side, hooking his arms under his shoulder and leading him back to the bed.

"You can't go there," Sunny repeated, grabbing Kade's arm and refusing to let go. "You cannot reason with that man, he will kill you just as soon as look at you, especially after what I've done. Please, don't leave me alone here."

Kade swallowed, his eyes seeming to burn with tears again. "Ok," he said thickly. "Ok, you're right, I won't go there."

Sunny sighed with relief, yet found himself unable to let go of his friends arm, as if frightened to let go of his tether to the world, that as soon as Kade's warmth moved away from him he'd be left alone with his memories and his demons, the face of the boy that would haunt him for what remained of his lifetime. He looked back into his friends eyes, pained as they were, and felt his heart start to hammer, his mind going hazy once more, unable to look away as Kade seemed to be drawn closer to him, the sound of his heart beating filling his ears, every mark on his skin visible until their lips touched. His hand tightened on Kade's arm as their tentative kiss deepened then, just as soon as it began, it was over, Kade pulling away.

"Rest," Kade said, his voice gruff with emotion. "I need to speak with Gotami." _Gotami._ His heart jumped, and he looked up just in time to see Kade disappear from the room, the door shutting behind him.

Later that day, feeling his strength return to him, Sunny climbed to his feet once more. The turmoil of emotions running through him was close to being more than he could bear, thinking of the Earth King, the Avatar State, the boy he killed ... he thought of Gotami, too, the way she seemed to make his heart soar, and then he thought of Kade, the kiss they had shared, and he felt himself falling straight back to earth again. He didn't know what to do, what was expected of him, how he could fix any of the mistakes he had made, but one thing was for sure ... he would never combine his energy with Tsula's again.

With a heavy sigh, he looked back to his door. Kade had not yet come back after leaving several hours ago, and he decided that perhaps it was time to speak to Gotami himself, hoping that maybe he could find Kade there, too. They needed to talk ... he needed to see him again. With a grunt he opened the door, making his way to the library with the help of his glider as a walking stick.

When he finally climbed the stairs to the library, cursing just how much of his energy the Avatar State seemed to have taken from him, it was to find Gotami sat on the ground, leaning against a bookshelf, tears sliding down her face. She heard Sunny's tentative knock on the door, looking up with alarm as she saw him, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Sansetsu!" she said, quickly climbing to her feet. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I-" he hesitated. "Kade told you what happened. In Ba Sing Se."

She nodded.

For a moment they said nothing, Sunny hesitating by the door, not sure whether he should comfort her, whether he should explain what had happened, or whether she needed to be left alone.

"Where is Kade?" he said at last, his voice quiet. At this, more tears fell, and he felt his panic returning. "Gotami?"

"He's gone," she said. "To Ba Sing Se."

His world crashed down and, without waiting for her to say anything else, he raced back down the stairs, the weakness in his limbs forgotten, charging across the Temple until he reached the stables.

"Bug!" he yelled, ignoring the confused looks of the nuns that were managing, and hearing the panicked tone of his masters voice Bug quickly took to the air, soaring down towards him. He was unsaddled, but Sunny had no time to think about that, taking a running leap and pushing the air beneath him until he landed at the bison's head.

"Ba Sing Se, go!"

But Bug Breath was still tired from traveling all the way to the City just the night before, and despite how much Sunny urged the bison forward, he couldn't travel any faster. Sunny's hands gripped into fists in Bug Breath's fur.

"Please just let him be ok," he begged to the skies. "Please, please. Please let him be ok."

But, after several hours, the walls of the city came into view, and a chill went through him when he saw two new shapes on the outer wall, two small objects atop high poles and, no longer able to wait for Bug, he grabbed his glider and leapt from the bison. He landed hard on the wall, the glider dropping from his hand, his robes torn at the knees from his collision with the stone, but he felt none of it.

"No," he whimpered. "No no no no ..."

Atop two poles, facing out east towards the Temple, was the display of the Earth King's wrath. His revenge. Beside the head of Chun Chun, there was the head of Kade, blood oozing down the pole as they looked sightless over the orange sky. Sunny's howl could be heard from the city, his scream of pain sending birds into flight. His hands grabbed his head, and he turned on the spot, crying out as his body grew weak. His first instinct was to fly back to the Earth King, to tear the man limb from limb, to unleash the power of the Avatar State again, then Kade's words floated back to him. _Trust me for once, won't you_. He looked back round, looking at the head of his friend, and with a snarl he pulled the robe from his back, pulling both Kade and Chun Chun free of the spikes and wrapping them in the cloak, blood swiftly staining the yellow fabric red. He grabbed his glider before calling to Bug Breath, he hesitantly flew towards him, leaning close to the wall so that Sunny could alight and, with eyes blazing, he angled them back to the Eastern Air Temple.

When he landed back at the Temple, it was to see nuns watching him with wide fearful eyes as the Avatar, his face a picture of pure hatred and rage, drop from his exhausted bison, clutched to his chest a bloody bundle. He stalked through the Temple, ignoring their fear, until he arrived at the chapter-house.

"Mother Superior!" he yelled, and the old nun looked over in alarm. Several of the other older nuns were with her, as well as Gotami, and their eyes widened with fear when they saw the blood covered Avatar. He held the bundle out to her, eyes blazing.

"Take it."

"Avatar Sa-"

 _"Take it!_ "

Confused and frightened, Tae Yun took the bundle from him, opening it up. With a scream she dropped it to the ground, Kade and Chun Chun's heads rolling onto the floor. Gotami cried out, her hands to her mouth.

"No!"

"Send a hawk to the North, the South, and the West," Sunny snarled.

"Avatar Sansetsu," Tae Yun breathed, her hands shaking. "Please, I cannot do that-" But Sunny charged forwards, one hand grabbing the front of her robes and his snarling face close to hers.

"Call them."

"Y-yes, A-Avatar," she whimpered. "Of course."

In a matter of days, the largest official gathering of Air Nomad members in history were gathered in the chamber-house of the Eastern Air Temple, including Sunny's old master Mun-Tae who, despite looking as ancient as the Temples themselves, still stood with an air of grace and superiority about him. There had been some that had not come, despite the urgency, but Sunny spared them no thoughts. Things were about to change for the Air Nation, and if they wanted to be left behind them so be it.

It was to a sea of judgement that Avatar Sansetsu found himself looking. Though half of the people there had yet to even meet the Avatar, word had spread fast and far about how he had assassinated to Earth King's son. He was the first Air Nomad in living memory to have knowingly taken the life of another human being, and that left a source of hatred for most. Master Mun-Tae had refused to even meet his eye, yet his anger and disappointment was clear on his face. Gotami, too, stood in the crowd, her pained eyes fixed on Sunny, almost as if she were willing him to step down, to give up this awful charade, but Sunny was beyond that now. His anger, and his grief, ran too deep.

He had considered, more than once, to seek guidance from Tsula once more, but the memories of his painful introduction to the Avatar State sent chills through him, and the truth was he was fearful that Tsula's presence alone would be enough to push him into the Avatar State yet again. No, he could do this alone.

"Thank you for coming here today," he said at long last, the mutterings in the room growing quiet as they looked up at him with scrutiny. "I'm not going to waste your time, or mine, by now I'm sure you've all heard of what happened in the Earth Kingdom. Earth King Chan Wu is responsible for enslaving his people, and their children, for imprisoning one of our own, and for the murder of our brothers, Chun Chun and Kade." His voice shook just a fraction at that, but he scowled and forced his weakness aside. "His cruelty will not end, and he grows only more powerful! Even now, the Earth King is building an army, and it is my belief that he will bring that army to our doors."

Gasps and cries met his words, the men and women looking between themselves, some panicked.

"You've brought this madness to us!"

Sunny looked up to see one of the Northern nomads step forward, a man that he recognised as one of the monks that he had grown up with. Others murmured in agreement.

"You killed the Earth King's son!" he continued, emboldened by the support of his peers. "And you speak as if you are still one of us?"

"The Earth King has been a problem for a long time," another voice came, as Dema stepped forward. "And whilst so many of you ignored our plea, Chun Chun and I tried to help his people ... to feed them ... The Avatar is the only one to put his life on the line to help them."

"This is a war that was always going to happen," Sunny said coldly. "Whether I had killed the Earth King's son or not ... you think he would have let Chun Chun go?"

"You broke your oath, Sansetsu." It was Mun-Tae who spoke now. "You are no longer one of us."

Sunny's upper lip rose, looking down at the man with disgust. "And I'd break it again," he all but spat. "If the Air Nomad way is to stand idle whilst thousands suffer then I welcome exile." He held his arms out wide, glaring at his old master, as silence fell. Mun-Tae looked coldly back, but didn't say another word, and Sunny addressed the group again.

"I am not going to apologise for killing the Earth King's son," he said, his voice sharp and clear across the hall. "It was a lesson that Chan Wu had to learn!"

"But he was just a child," another airbender interrupted. "A boy, younger than you!"

"And a monster just like his father," Sunny hissed. "If he had lived, he would have grown up to cause the suffering of thousands more. Families, women, children. His father killed two of our own, and he didn't just kill them, he mutilated them. He stuck their heads on spikes for us to find! Two of our own who only went to him seeking peace."

Silence fell now. Tears fell down Dema's cheeks, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Gotami break lose from the crowd, leaving the room, and his stomach churned.

"We have more power than he realises," he continued. "I know we are not a violent people, I know we are not fighters, but have we not always sought peace? Have we not always preached forgiveness, freedom, kindness? Well, what good is that if we hide in our Temples, hoarding our teachings like a beasts hoards treasure?"

He saw the monks and nuns look among themselves, the fear evident on their faces. And he took a deep breath.

"I am not asking anyone who does not want to to risk their lives. I am not ordering you into battle. But I ask, no I beg of you to consider it anyway. Together we can free the people of Ba Sing Se, we can bring honour to our brother's deaths."

He swallowed, lowering his hands. He knew that he had said all that he could, and that he could do no more to convince them, and he watched in despair as heads were shook and, led by Master Mun-Tae, many of them turned their backs to him, leaving the chapter-house. He lowered his head, defeated.

"I'm with you, Avatar Sansetsu."

He looked up to see Dema stepping forward then, this his amazement, others did too. Some were monks that he had grown up with, others were from the South and West, and several of the nuns that he'd had come to know from the East stood firm too. It wasn't a lot, but it could be enough.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Avatar Sansetsu," came a voice from his side, and he looked over to see Mother Superior Tae Yun looking back at him with grief etched across her features before she, too, turned and left.

The determination with which the remaining Air Nomads trained brought hope to his heart. He knew, as did they all, that there was no guarantee that any of them would leave Ba Sing Se alive, but the faith they had in him, and he them, was inspiring enough for them to continue regardless. In the end, he had found himself with a small group of fifty Air Nomads, of varying ages and ability, but each with fire in their hearts, and he began to believe that maybe, just maybe, they had a damn good chance to face the Earth King, to free his people, to make a positive change.

For weeks they trained, and though they stayed at the Eastern Air Temple, they were mostly ignored by those that still lived there. Gotami had not been seen since he had watched her leave the meeting, and Sunny had not sought her out, as desperately as he wanted to, until the night before they planned to make their attack.

He climbed the stairs to the library as he had done so many times before and, with a heavy heart, he knocked on the wooden door. Gotami looked up from her seat on the floor, leaning against the bookcase as she was often found, and though her smile was welcoming, it was painful.

"Can I come in?" Sunny asked. Gotami nodded, before patting the ground beside her. After a moments hesitation he sat down, looking out at the view from the large window, seeing soaring blue skies and smelling the sweet scent of the breeze.

"You're taking them tomorrow," Gotami said, placing the book down beside her. It wasn't a question.

"I am."

"You won't reconsider."

"I won't."

They say in silence for several minutes, Sunny enjoying her company again, for what it was worth, her warmth against his arm, and the calming presence that was just her. It hurt, being so close to her. Kade had found it hilarious, the idea of Sunny and Gotami, for reasons that he had never truly understood.

"She's far too sensible a choice for you, Sunny," Kade had said one day, as they sat in his room. "You live for adventure, danger ... you'd be better suited to a platypus bear." He had kicked Kade, who had laughed, grumbling about how wrong he had been. His admiration for Gotami had not died, however, despite Kade's teasing, and even now after all the differences that stood between them, he couldn't help but ache for her acceptance.

"I can't stop you from going, Sansetsu," she said, at long last. "But I can't stand by and let this happen. To you. To Kade's memory."

He looked sharply across at her, seeing a single tear fall down her cheek.

"I'm doing this for Kade," he said.

"No, you're not."

Gotami shook her head, turning her silver eyes to him.

"This is not the way to honour Kade. He would not have wanted any of this. You know, he came to me that night, he told me what you had done, and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the Earth King came after you."

"I know."

"He thought that if he offered his own life as payment for the Earth King's son, for yours, that it would end this sorry war. He thought maybe if he laid down his own life you would finally understand that violence would only lead to more violence."

"He was wrong," Sunny said, looking away from her bitterly. "He shouldn't have given his life at all. I-" he stopped, a lump coming to his throat. "I would have gladly died at the Earth King's hands for what I did if if it meant that Kade would live."

They fell silent again, memories of Kade churning in his stomach.

"He loved you, you know," Gotami breathed. "We never talked about it, but I knew."

"I know," Sunny breathed, as a tear fell down his own cheek. He reached out, taking one of her hands. "But love never trumps hate. It could never stop a war."

"I hope you're wrong about that."

"What are you going to do?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm going to ask the spirits to help. Maybe there is power in the spirit world to stop you."

He nodded, before looking back over at her. He supposed he was never destined for happiness. How could he be? Any life that he had dreamed of, with Gotami or with Kade, was never going to have been reality. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss against her cheek, before getting to his feet.

"You do what you have to do."


	19. The Tale of Sansetsu: Part Five

If the history books had chosen to remember the Air Nation attack on Ba Sing Se, it would have gone down as the Avatar's greatest defeat, and the single most greatest number of airbender deaths the world had yet seen, second only to the genocide at the hands of Firelord Sozin almost a thousand years later. Despite the determination of his soldiers, they simply were not prepared for the onslaught waiting for them at the walls of the city. They had not even reached the Lower Ring before the Earth King army attacked, and though they had fought back hard, many of the airbenders were cut from the sky. Sunny, without the aid of the Avatar State, was no match for the hundreds of men they found facing them, and he too was cut from the air, pinned to the earth as he watched his kin die. By some miracle, he escaped the slaughter, but not before witnessing the death of all those that had followed him into battle, including his bison, Bug Breath, who was crushed under several tonne of rock. He had called for Tsula in that moment, but the spirit had not come, and body broken and soul defeated, he had been forced to flee, narrowly escaping the clutches of the Earth King's soldiers.

He could not return to the Air Temples after that. He was dishonored, and ashamed, and though his body was not formally identified, the Earth King announced that the Avatar was among the dead. And so, the world had gone on believing that the reign of Avatar Sansetsu had passed after just nineteen short years. The first Air Nomad in history to lead an army, the first Avatar to die before mastering all four elements, the first Air Nomad to have his name scratched from the census.

For Sunny, he considered this payment for his mistakes, and he retreated to the Fire Nation, hiding his identity as the Avatar, instead traveling the darker parts of the Fire Nation as a wandering monk, armed only with his battered glider and sour temperament. For as much as he blamed himself for what had happened, he could not fight back the anger that ruled him with every waking moment, and for a year he let himself believe that the Avatar truly was dead, drowning his sorrow in alcohol, men, women and anything that could make him forget the pain that he felt.

It was only on his twentieth birthday that he even considered the possibility of returning to the Air Temples. He had drank heavily that night, as he often did, before dragging a large Water Tribe man home with him, and he snarled as he was pushed against the wall of his bedroom, the stranger pressing his body flush against his, breathing into his ear.

"That all you got?" he growled, before both his arms were raised over his head, the man freezing shackles around them before grabbing him and turning him around, grinding into him.

"Trust me," the man whispered, his lips brushing against his ear, but Sunny's eyes snapped open, his heart hammering a different beat.

" _Just ... trust me for once, won't you?_ "

Kade's words from over a year ago came back to him, his voice a sound that he had not allowed himself to imagine in all that time, and he swiftly shattered the shackles around his wrist, blasting air against the wall and throwing the Water Tribe man across the room.

"Shit!" The Water Tribe man landed in a heap, reaching up to touch his bloodied lip as, breathing heavily, Sunny glared down at him. "Shit, man, what's your problem?"

"Get out!" Sunny roared.

"You're fucking crazy, man," the man snarled back, getting to his feet and hurrying from the room. Sunny felt light headed, the alcohol and adrenaline almost too much for him as he swayed on the spot. Why had he thought of that? He had fought to push all memories of Kade from his mind, to forget. He spat on the ground, looking up at the broken wall, before he too stormed from the room, desperate for fresh air.

In the Fire Nation, even the nights were hot, and he didn't bother to pull on a robe as he walked down the street, his head bowed and his bloodshot eyes glaring. He had long ago stopped wearing the traditional clothes of his people, instead dressing as any commoner in the Fire Nation would, his appearance drab and dull enough that most of the time he could slip by without grabbing any attention. On a night like this, in the slums of the Fire Nation, nobody had time for a shabby loner stalking through the streets, too busy trying to find their own distractions from the misery in their lives. It was how he liked it.

"I could help you, you know," came the familiar voice.

"Leave me alone, spirit," Sunny spat, as he felt Tsula fall into place beside him.

"You remember the power that you had?" Tsula continued. "With our energies combined you could return to your former glory."

"I never had glory," Sunny hissed, waving his hand at the spirit who remained invisible to everyone else around him. Two men leaning against the wall of one of the dirty taverns took notice, one nudging the other as they laughed.

"Look at that crazy bastard."

Sunny scowled, stalking past them.

Though he had fought hard to escape his past, to forget all the people that had once been in his life, losing the spirit had been much harder. Despite leaving him alone during the battle in Ba Sing Se, Tsula had soon returned, almost as if he had been haunting him, with promises of greatness if he only listened to him. But Sunny didn't want greatness, he didn't want power. He just wanted to be left alone to drink and fuck his sorrow into the dirt, to disappear into obscurity just like he deserved. If he had the guts to end his own life, he would do, knowing that for as long as he lived he only deprived the world of a more deserving Avatar, but no matter how he tried to justify it to himself, he had not earned the right to just end his suffering when he saw fit. No, he would take his punishment until the world decided he was done.

Tsula, mercifully, seemed to have stopped following him, and rubbing his painful wrists, he carried on to the docks. Perhaps here he could lay on the muddy earth and smell the salt of the sea until morning, before moving on to a new town. The docks were usually busy at this time of night, full of people seeking or selling favours, swapping tales and stolen goods, and it was a good place for him to drown out his thoughts. He could not stop himself from replaying the memory of the last time he had seen Kade alive, furious at the man that had inadvertently pulled those memories back up to the surface. It stung, and it made him want to hit something. Perhaps someone would jump him, perhaps a good beating would be enough to knock the sense out of him.

One of the women at the dock, a firebender who could often be found here selling old herbal remedies to forget, nodded at him when she saw him, and with a grunt he acknowledged her. People were starting to recognise him, it was certainly time for him to move on from this town. He passed the group on the dock, usually their bragging bringing him some dark amusement but, today, it only seemed to grate on him.

"Oh hey, there he is!"

Sunny looked up, and groaned inwardly.

"What do you want, Angel Eyes?"

The man, ironically named Angel Eyes because of the permanent scarring around his eyes from a firebending duel gone wrong, jogged up to him, arms held wide and pulling him into a hug.

"Hey, Tattoos, wondered where you'd got off to."

Sunny, who had never bothered to come up with an alter identity for himself, had earned many nicknames across the Fire Nation, and though many of them lacked any real imagination, it did mean that it was hard for anyone to keep track of him after he had left and started anew in the next town. There weren't many airbenders in this side of town, but Sunny had been surprised to see that there were still some. Apparently he wasn't the only one to cast aside his Air Nomad teachings and lifestyle. Or perhaps he wasn't the only airbender who wanted to forget. But his race was still rare enough that almost every nickname he got was related, in some way, to his tattoos or pale skin.

"Angel Eyes," the herb seller said, crushing her cigarette into the dirt and walking up to them. "Ask him, go on, see if he's heard anything."

"Heard anything about what?" Sunny asked, curious in spite of himself.

"Well, word on the street is that a load of Air Nomads were seen leaving the Eastern Air Temple, 'chu hear anything about that?"

Sunny frowned. Though he had tried not to think of his people back at the Temples, it was hard not to overhear the odd thing or two. A lot was happening in the Earth Kingdom these days, one of the many reasons why he had chosen to flee to the Fire Nation, but from what he understood the Temples had mercifully been spared the wrath of the Earth King.

"Why would I know anything about that?" he said simply, before holding out his hand. The herb seller frowned.

"Hey, you want something you gotta give me something in return," she said.

"Come on, Smokes, I've had a pretty shit night. Help me out."

Smokes scowled. "Fine, but this is the last time, Tattoos. I'm don't run a charity."

He grunted his thanks as she passed him a cigarette, which she lit for him, the rich scent filling the air.

"You're an airbender, ain't ya?" Angel Eyes continued, his lips practically pouting by this point. "You've gotta know what's going on in the Temples. Hasn't been this many airbenders traveling together since that nutter Avatar took on the Earth King."

Sunny took a deep drag on the cigarette, before blowing it into Angel Eye's face, the cloud much larger with the assistance of his airbending. Angel Eyes coughed, waving the smoke away from him.

"I don't have a fucking clue," he said at length. "I don't tend to involve myself with the Temples."

"I heard," Smokes said, watching him carefully, "that the Earth King threatened to send his army into the Temple if they didn't leave on their own terms."

"Why would he do that?" asked Angel Eyes.

"Well, he wants the land doesn't he? It's probably just as well that they vacate the Temples for a while, you know he'll kill anyone he finds still living there."

"Not my problem," Sunny muttered.

"Hey, it's not where you grew up is it, Tats?" Angel Eyes sneered suddenly. "Got mummy and daddy issues or something?"

"Nah nah, he'd be from the North or South Temples," Smokes replied. "It's just women living in the East."

"Ah, so _that's_ why the Earth King is so interested in the place," Angel Eyes cackled, throwing Sunny a wink.

Sunny scowled down at the ground, feeling his hands shake minutely. _Fuck_ , he thought to himself. He threw his smoke to the ground.

"Hey!" Smokes cried. "You hardly touched it!"

"Yeh, thanks for that," Sunny said, before turning on his heal and heading back to the town, ignoring the insults from the pair behind him.

He shouldn't have come to the dock. He shouldn't have left the house that day. He shouldn't have picked up that asshole waterbender, neither. He had fought hard to forget his past, and today it seemed determined to come back to haunt him. He didn't want to return to the Eastern Air Temple, but if what the two low lives down at the docks had said was true, then it might be that they were in trouble. He could see most of the Air Nomads leaving, but Gotami? He stopped dead, eyes wide. _Gotami_. He hadn't let his thoughts stray to her in over a year. It was probably just Angel Eyes twisted sense of humour, there was no way that the Earth King would charge to the Eastern Air Temple just to hurt a bunch of women. He scoffed. Even he knew that wasn't beyond Chan Wu. He marched back up the street to the room that he had been staying in, noticing that the door had been kicked in, no doubt the waterbending man had watched him leave and decided to see if he had anything valuable as payment for his ego bruising. Sighing he stepped over the shattered wood that had once been his door, and sure enough his room had been turned upside down in his absence.

He wasn't bothered. He had nothing of value except the clothes on his back and his glider. Luckily the glider had not been deemed worthy of stealing, and he picked it up from the ground, blowing the dust from it before leaving the room again.

It didn't matter how hard he tried not to think about it, he knew that he had to go back. He had to see that everyone was ok. He owed it to Gotami. He growled as he gripped his glider tight. Just what he needed.

"If you're going back there," the voice spoke again, Tsula now standing in front of him, "I can help you."

He waved his hand again, pushing past the spirit. But Tsula did not give up, appearing in front of him again.

"You remember the city in the desert don't you?"

He pushed past again.

"You remember that I told you that some spirits would see your cause as worthy?"

"Leave me alone."

"You needed an army then," Tsula said. "And you need an army now. You can still end the Earth King. And I can provide that army."

"Where was this army a year ago?" Sunny yelled, coming to a halt and glaring at the spirit that continued to materialise in front of him, indifferent to the people looking up in his direction as he argued with what seemed to be thin air. "When my people died, where was it then?"

Tsula lowered his head, his red eyes blazing. "You refused the Avatar State," he said, coldly. "You refused it, and as a result your people died. But welcome it now, welcome it again. Together we can defeat the Earth King."

"I don't need this, spirit," Sunny hissed, before opening his glider, and taking off into the night sky.

It took him several weeks to travel to the Eastern Air Temple, and though he tried hard not to drink, every time sobriety crept up on him his memories would come back to him, the sound of his people screaming, the sight of Kade's head pierced on a spike, and he would crawl back to whatever tavern was closest. He knew arriving at the Temple looking as he did would not favour him, but arriving having gone quite crazy wouldn't help him either, and so he chose the lesser of two evils. He soured over the Si Wong desert, pausing only at the Misty Palms oasis, before continuing until the walls of Ba Sing Se became visible in the distance. His heart darkened as he looked at it, but he need not pass through the city to reach the Temple.

When he finally arrived at the Eastern Air Temple, it was to find that it had, indeed, been deserted. The bison were gone, the halls empty, dust rising from the stone as he walked. Even the birds that had once filled the air with song seemed to be gone. He could see no sign of a struggle, at least, no sign that earthbenders had made it to the Temple, and he could only assume that the nuns had traveled to one of the other Temples after hearing the rumours that the Earth King might come to them. He sighed heavily, his fingers running across the stone walls as he walked. The people were safe at least, he had to assume, but they should never have had to leave their home.

"You could take it back for them."

"Not now, Tsula. Leave me to my misery for a while, won't you?"

He paused, looking to the furthest pagoda, and to the library that sat at it's top, the wide open window just visible through the haze and, with the smallest smile, he began to climb towards it.

When he reached the top of the long spiral staircase to the library, he found himself shocked to a stop, his heart beating harder than it had done in years, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. Just as he had thought, there was one nun who would never leave her home no matter how much the Earth King threatened, and sat on the ground, leaning against her favoured bookshelf, was Gotami. He hesitated for a moment before, as habit had installed, he raised his hand and knocked softly against the door. Gotami looked over at him, not surprised to see him there at all, and smiled softly, patting the ground beside her.

"Hello Sansetsu."

Slowly he walked up beside her, leaning his staff on the bookcase before sitting down at her side, looking once more out at the large window. He supposed he looked a state, his dirty Fire Nation vest and slacks, his long hair now pulled back in an untidy bun at the back of his head, the stain of tobacco on his fingers. She, however, looked just as radiant as she always had.

"I knew you hadn't died," she said, placing her book down at her side.

"No, I'm still here," Sunny replied, unable to keep the regret from his voice. "I survived."

"I'm glad that you did."

"I don't see why. I am responsible for the death of so many of our people. I am only alive right now because the spirits sought to punish me."

Gotami looked at him, her hand touching his arm.

"It looks like you've punished yourself plenty."

He pulled his arm away.

"Why did you come back?"

"I heard rumours," he replied. "I guess ... I wanted to make sure that you were ok."

"That makes sense."

"Why are _you_ still here?"

Gotami breathed heavily, resting her head back against the bookshelf, her eyes closing.

"I guess ... I wanted to make sure that you were ok, too."

"Where did everyone go? Are they safe?"

"They went to the other Temples," Gotami replied. "They'll be safe, and they'll be back. Some day."

"Good."

They sat in silence for a long time after that, just watching the clouds go by and the sun gently fall from the sky. Eventually, though, Gotami got to her feet, and he watched her walk past him, his heart thudding slowly.

"I'm leaving this world behind, Sansetsu," she said heavily, stopping at the doorway. "It was always my plan, to pass into the spirit world and not return. I think the time has come, there's nothing more for me here."

"You could stay with me." He wasn't sure what drove him to say it, only that he didn't regret that he did. She smiled sadly.

"I love you, Sansetsu," she said softly, looking back to him. "Not as you hoped, I know, though I love you none-the-less. But I cannot heal you, and I cannot take your pain away from you. You need to find peace for yourself."

He swallowed, and this time the tears did flow, and angrily he wiped them from his cheeks. But by the time he looked up, Gotami had gone, and bitterly he rest his head back on the bookcase.

He woke up much later than night, his head still resting on the bookcase, his back aching. It was far from the most uncomfortable place he had fallen asleep, but the stone on his backside hurt none-the-less. He groaned, rubbing his back, before he became aware of the presence in the room, looking up to see the spirit Tsula standing in front of him.

"Oh give it up," he said warily. "I already told you, I'm done. Finished. Just leave me alone to die won't you?"

But the spirit did not reply, his face cold as he looked down at the Avatar at his feet. Sunny scowled.

"Didn't you hear me, Tsula? I said beat it!"

"That is not my name."

Taken back, Sunny rubbed his eyes, just to be sure that he was in fact talking to Tsula and he hadn't made up the whole thing, but Tsula still stood there. Tall, the red of his eyes and tattoos bright against his dark skin, only this time the paternal smile he normally carried was absent, the look on his face that of pure disgust.

"What are you talking about?" Sunny asked, getting to his feet now. It was only now that he started to feel the shiver of fear as he looked at the spirit that had followed him through the latter years of his life, offering guidance, guidance that seemed only to lead to more pain. And then, slowly, the truth began to dawn on him, a truth so horrible he could hardly think to voice it.

"You ... you've been using me ..."

Tsula didn't react, just looking back at him.

"All this time ... everything you ever told me. Who- who are you really?"

"My name is Tonrar," Tsula replied, and Sunny frowned, a far away memory fighting to rise to the surface. He knew that name, why did he know that name?

"You can blame me for all your bad mistakes," Tonrar said calmly, "but the truth is you walked into them so eagerly. You craved power just as any weak man does. You didn't fight the Earth King because you wanted his people to be free, you fought him because you wanted the power. You wanted to be a legend. A hero."

"That's- that's not true-"

"I only made that power easier for you to touch," Tonrar continued. "And now, I am tired of waiting for you."

"Waiting for me? Waiting for me to do what?"

"To take the power willingly once more." Tonrar walked up to him, now standing face to face, and Sunny felt fear grip his heart, looking into those cold dead eyes. "I have one last task for you, Avatar Sansetsu. After you so happily provided me with the last piece of the puzzle, my last soul, I have everything that I need."

Sunny swallowed, confused and frightened.

"What do you mean, your last soul?" he asked, his thoughts racing. And then, he realised where he remembered the name ... He had been in the spirit world, Gotami had taken his hand, breathless with wonder as they had looked over a great city in the desert.

 _The dark spirit, Tonrar, he will trap the souls of any human that he can ... It was always my plan, to pass into the spirit world and not return ..._

"No," he choked. "No, Gotami ..."

"You will do as I ask," Tonrar said. "Willingly or not, does not matter to me."

"What have you done to her? I'll kill you spirit! Tell me what you did to her!"

But pain overcame him, pain that he had felt only once in his life as his energy had combined with Tornar's and he had passed into the Avatar State for the first time. He screamed, falling to the ground and grabbing his head and then, before he could do anything else, he found his body pass out of his control, forced to his feet as Tonrar held his clawed hands out to him.

"Walk," the spirit hissed, and unable to fight him, Sunny had obeyed.

If he had been in control of his body, there was no way he would have made it to the mediation ring in the gardens without his legs buckling from the pain. Tonrar refused to ease, pushing Sunny only harder until, with a final cry, he had fallen to his hands and knees, panting as Tonrar dropped his control. With a growl he rolled onto his side, thrashing out weakly with one arm, trying to blast the spirit off the high cliff, but his bending just wasn't strong enough, and he could only lie there, his body shaking.

"There is one more job for you before your time as the Avatar ends," Tonrar said. "I need you to break down the boundaries between this world, and the spirit world. I need you to tear a whole between our two worlds!"

"Why?" Sunny gasped. "Why would you want that?"

"The imprisonment of the spirits will come to an end today," Tonrar replied, his eyes wide and greedy. "My kin will be free to roam this world as they once did! But don't worry, I will be sure to bring the Earth King to his knees, in your honor of course. I will burn the entire of Ba Sing Se down to its foundations."

"No," Sunny managed, wincing at the pain. "Tsula ... Tonrar, please, there are innocent people there! I can't ... I can't have more people die because of me!" He screamed these last words, and for a moment there seemed to be a spark of empathy in Tonrar's expression. But it passed, and Sunny collapsed on the ground again.

In that moment, Tonrar held his arms wide, and around them people began to appear, Sunny watching with wide eyes as people of all ages, size, and race suddenly crowded around them, their forms solid for the lifeless haze in their eyes. He looked around at them, confused, until one of them stood out to him, her perfect face still as her hair waved in the wind.

"Gotami?" he choked, pushing himself back up to his feet. She stood, sightless grey eyes looking forward, and he reached out, grabbing her shoulders. "Gotami?"

"She can't hear you," Tonrar said. "Her soul is mine now."

He tore his eyes away from her, looking back at the tall dark spirit. "Let her go," he begged. "Just ... let her go, I'll do whatever you want, just let her go."

"It's too late to bargain, Avatar," Tonrar replied. "Stand in the circle."

"No," he breathed, standing his ground. Tonrar frowned.

"Don't test me, Avatar."

"I won't do what you ask!" Sunny cried, his hands curling into fists. But Tonrar growled, reaching out with clawed hands as once more his world exploded in pain, and his body forced back to the center of the meditation circle. He gasped for breath before feeling it, that terrifying rage that had pushed him to murder a boy all that time ago, and he was forced into the Avatar State, looking out with glowing eyes, a bright blue light shooting into the night sky above. It was a light visible for miles around, even the Earth King looking up with a certain fear as evidence of the Avatar's continued existence was made clear to all those around to see it.

Sunny's arms reached out, the power running through his veins greater than anything any one person should feel and, in hideous clarity, a red mist started to fill the air. It was drawn from the hearts of the people standing around them, the grass beneath his feet, the trees within reach, every piece of life around him being drawn towards him as the ground beneath his feet started to shake.

Tonrar's began to laugh, his arms held wide as all his dreams began to come true, the Avatar starting to tear a hole in the very fabric of the world, yet in his glee, for the briefest moment, his control over Sunny dropped, and from deep within his mind Sunny could suddenly see. He saw the red mist swarming to his finger tips, he saw the bodies of those around him, Gotami's body, begin to fade away, and he realised that he could not fight Tonrar's control. There was only one way that he could stop him. He had to stop himself. Sensing the drop in Tonrar's control, he pushed himself forward, yelling as he did, and for the shortest of moments the blue light in his eyes faded. Tonrar stopped laughed, shock on his face as Sunny dropped back to the ground and, in an instant, his mind was made.

He would not allow anyone else to die because of him. His time as the Avatar had come to an end. As his eyes flicking back to Gotami once more, he slammed his heal into the ground, and from it a sharp spike of rock flew, piercing him in the heart. Tonrar howled, but it was too late. Sansetsu's time as the Avatar had come to an end, and there was nothing that even Tonrar could do to stop that as, thousands of miles away, a child was born in the Water Tribe, her loud cries seeming to echo across the world.


	20. The Calm After

The breeze shifted weakly across the ever changing landscape of the desert, the young morning sun starting it's ascent over the horizon, it's fingertips reaching out to warm the bitterly cold air. In time, those fingertips reached a red stone cave, the light climbing up the shoulders of a large man, his figure seeming to shimmer gold as he cast a shadow over the two other who sat, in stunned silence, deeper in the cave.

Sansetsu fell silent after he recounted his death, his face exhausted and pained. Aang and Katara had not said a single word throughout his long tale, and Sansetsu could hardly dare to look at them throughout most of it. Katara had pulled her knees close to her chest, silent tears leaving tracks down her dirty face. She had felt pain in her life, she had felt impossible fear, loss, she had doubted herself and her powers, felt shame when she had used bloodbending on another ... yet she could not fathom how Sansetsu could have experienced so much of that in his shockingly short life. In many ways, she was an empath; she had always been able to pick up on the feelings of her friends and family most keenly, and it hurt her to see pain in their eyes. She found that she had easily been able to read the pain and shame on Sansetsu's face, noticing how he would occasionally look in her direction as he spoke, yet doggedly refused to make eye contact with Aang the entire time. She realised that his hatred of Aang was not entirely personal. No, Sansetsu was ashamed. And though he had spoken to Gotami after leading his people to their deaths, he had never had to face another airbender since. Until now.

"When I passed into the spirit world," Sansetsu continued, the golden light haloing him fading as the sun inched higher in the sky, Aang and Katara's breath leaving light clouds of fog in the cave, "I had a choice. I decided to stay here, in the city, and I told myself that there is where I would stay until I was able to free the people that Tonrar had imprisoned. Free Gotami. It's been one thousands years since that day, and Tonrar has only added more souls to his collection. I've not made the slightest bit of difference, no one has. Except you," he said with marked difficultly, glancing up at Aang for the first time in hours, referring to him freeing Gotami's spirit.

Aang remained silent, his face expressionless and impossible to read. Sansetsu seemed to wince, looking away once more, and Katara looked over at Aang, unsure of what kind of reaction she should expect, or even, hope for. Silence followed Sansetsu's words once more, the past Avatar letting go of a long low breath of mixed relief and apprehension and Katara found herself completely at loss as for what to say. In her gut she wanted to comfort him, but a spark of anger still ran deep, and she knew that it would be present inside of Aang too. Perhaps, in him, that spark was to become a fire. She swallowed, looking back to him, her mouth opening hesitantly, but Aang sensed her gaze and got to his feet suddenly. Sansetsu looked up, as Aang avoided his gaze now, too.

"I-" his voice was hoarse, dry. "I need a moment."

Sansetsu shifted, allowing the current Avatar to climb past him and out of the cave, his expression dark. Katara wanted to go after him, but she knew that he needed to process this information in his own time, and in his own way. She watched him go sadly, before looking back at Sansetsu.

The past Avatar seemed to be quickly building a wall back up around himself, his arms crossing against his chest, and his jaw tightening. She knew that she couldn't allow that to happen. Aang's ability to get past this, and to still accept Sansetsu's help, relied on Sansetu's ability to remain open. Making a snap decision she got to her feet, reaching out and grabbing Sansetsu's hand. The past Avatar started, stiffening and looking up at her with complete shock before making to snatch his hand away from her, yet she held firm.

"I know this is painful," she said, trying not to let her voice shake, "but you can't close yourself off again. Aang needs you, we both know that."

Sansetsu frowned, and for a moment she was convinced he would yell at her, make a sassy comment at the least, and call her names, but his shoulders lumped, and he contented himself with scowling out in the direction that Aang had left. Katara allowed herself a small, triumphant smile, before letting go of his hand and sitting down beside him.

"I can't even begin to imagine how hard that must have been for you," she continued, "but thank you. It's going to be tough for a while, if I know Aang like I think i do he's going to be angry. The airbender's were taken from him, and though it allowed him to end the war in the end, he blames himself every day for their deaths. When I first met him, he was convinced that if he hadn't run away from home when he was a kid then he could have helped them, prevent their deaths. But he would have died with his people, deep down he knows that, but he'll still always be filled with regret."

Sansetsu's eyes dropped down to the sand, remaining quiet.

"You both made choices that affected your people," Katara continued. "And he'll soon understand that. But right now he's going to be angry, and he's not going to understand how you could have done some of the things that you did. You need to be prepared for that, but you also cannot shut yourself away from."

Sansetsu shifted and looked back at her, his expression quizzical.

"He listens to you, doesn't he?" he asked suddenly, and Katara was surprised into a short laugh.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Not as often as he should, mind."

"I can see why he picked you," Sansetsu continued, his expression serious. "He's lucky. Not everyone gets to have what he has in you."

Katara blinked, averting her gaze, feeling pride yet sorrow at his words. "You had that too though, right?" she asked. "With Gotami."

But Sansetsu stiffened, his eyes shutting and he seemed to draw away from her. "No," he all but growled, "I didn't listen. Not once. I had a chance, you know, to make everything different?" He looked back to her. "When I saw you both for the first time, I was angry ... He had you, yet he had still managed to make such a huge fucking mess of everything. And I thought that I should have been so lucky, to have had someone like you when Tornar targeted me. But, see, the thing is I did. I just didn't realise it until it was too late. And he died because of that."

Katara did not know what to say. She had struggled to hold back her surprise when Sansetsu had revealed the final passing moments between he and his friend Kade. Their kiss, and his relations with men in the Fire Nation, had left her taken aback. Her Tribe was, and always had been, as conservative as it came, and same-sex relationships were unheard of, taboo even. She had glanced over at Aang, but his expression had not shown surprise at all, and she wondered whether it was a normal part of Air Nomad culture ... but then, it had not been long ago when relationships between two different races were rare, unheard of even, and she had since witnessed so many perfect unions since she had stepped out into the world. Suki and Sokka, for example, even she and Aang.

"I'm sorry," she said at last, playing with the ankle of her leggings, looking at the grains of sand at her feet shifting gently. "You loved him too, didn't you?"

"Yeh," Sansetsu managed. "I did."

The pair fell into silence once more, and Katara found herself feeling actually comfortable around the past Avatar for the first time since they had met. She couldn't pretend to understand every decision that he had made, but she could understand him. She realised that there were perhaps more ways in which he and Aang were similar, than they were different.

Outside, Aang sat down on the cold sand, his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. He had not strayed far, not wanting to leave Katara alone, and the cold breeze and still air meant that he had heard her words, and he shut his eyes tight before burying his head in his arms. He could see the parallels between Sansetsu's actions and his in the past, but what Katara didn't understand was that the past Avatar had willingly led his people, his peaceful pacifist people, to their deaths. And afterwards ... he had run. He had done some truly foolish things in his life, but he had never killed another person, not like Sansetsu did.

 _You almost did_ , the voice in his head spoke, and his eyes opened sharply. _If Katara had not been there you would have killed that guard at the Fire Sage's Temple._ It didn't matter that Sansetsu had secluded himself and gone to the Earth King alone, either. Hadn't he done exactly the same thing when he had run away from the Fire Nation? He had left Katara behind and as such he had almost made it possible for Tonrar to take full control over him. It had been Katara, again, who had stopped that happening. Without Katara, he could have just as easily killed many more people than Sansetu ever did in the Avatar State. He hadn't led his people to war, no, but he had time and time and time again put the world at risk through his actions. He groaned to himself, wrapping his hands around the back of his head.

 _But Sansetsu was weak_. He frowned, the voice-like-his-yet-not-quite had stirred in his mind, and this time it felt like it was really trying to reach out to him, not just speak his darkest thoughts. For a moment he considered it, just allowing the voice to speak freely before he shook his head angrily and got to his feet, glaring out over the cold, quiet desert. He needed to get further away, he needed room to breathe. He walked away from the cave, heading towards a high dune in the distance. _You can't keep ignoring me_.

"I can," Aang muttered under his breath, scowling. He continued to scale the dune, looking out over the desert until he could finally see the city again, hazy in the distance. Sansetsu had spent close to a thousand years in that city, trying to free somebody that he loved. He supposed he must have seen Gotami there, he must had watched her wander aimlessly across the courtyards night after night before one day, perhaps, he lost track of her, not knowing that it was because Aang had freed her spirit back in his world. He couldn't imagine the pain of that ... if Tonrar had stolen Katara's soul, he imagined he too would have spent an eternity trying to free her.

 _Punishment,_ the voice said. _Punishment for his crimes whilst he lived_. But a thousand years of this was not punishment, it was beyond that, it was torture. It was no wonder that Sansetsu was the way that he was, that he held such anger and contempt in his heart. It was no wonder that the past Avatar hated him. He was a reminder of the culture that he had betrayed, the people he had lost, and the pain that Tonrar had inflicted.

 _Or maybe he's envious of the fact that you are more powerful than he could have ever been_ , the voice said, and Aang scowled, shaking his head.

"Who are you?" he hissed, hands clenched. "My subconscious? The Avatar Spirit?"

 _That and more_ , the voice replied. _Where there was once the Avatar Spirit, there is now this. Where there was once your anger, there is now this. I am the darkness you try to hide, the power you refuse to wield, the key to killing Tonrar, if only you were brave enough to let me in._

"Or a trick," Aang replied, shitting his eyes tight again. Any time that he let that dark part of him, that voice lose in his mind, people got hurt. He lost control, he became the monster he saw at the depths of his soul.

 _Only because you fight against me,_ the voice continued. _What have you to lose? That past Avatar can't guide you, he couldn't even guide himself. Embrace me. Embrace your true potential, the power you could wield. We can work together._

"No."

 _You think you can do this alone? You need me, Aang, and you call on me whether you know it or not. You created me, after all. You can't continue to fight. I will rise, whether you're ready or not._

Breathing heavily, Aang shook his head and wrapped his arms around his head again, as he felt the rage coiling in the pit of his stomach, churning and rising bile to his throat. It was getting hard to fight, harder to push back his anger, and more often it would break free, just as it had when he had fought Sansetsu back in the city. How long before his anger put him, or Katara, in trouble again?

Or maybe the voice was right. His eyes snapped open. Maybe he was supposed to use this power ... many years ago his friends, Katara, even his past lives had tried to tell him that he would have to kill the Firelord in order to bring peace. That he would have to put aside his morals and his beliefs for the sake of the world. He had found another way then, he had been sure he could find another way this time, but perhaps it wasn't possible for him to find a way out of it so easy.

He felt a warm hum at his chest, a rising sensation that wasn't just his anger, almost as though something was stirring inside of him, aching to be free. He took a deep breath, looking back to the cave, his hand pressed against his chest. He had anger, he had so much of it, but he knew one thing for sure ... he couldn't place all the blame on Sansetsu. He had faced Tonrar, in many ways he had lost, but he had also triumphed, and he had stopped Tonrar where Aang had been unable. Sansetsu had taken his own life to stop Tonrar, and he couldn't place the burden of his grief on the past Avatar's shoulders. Sansetsu had experienced enough of his own already.

He got shakily to his feet, finding that his limbs seemed to hum, almost as if his decision to forgive Sansetsu had brought about a burst of power within himself that he couldn't understand, before starting to walk back to the cave. The sun now hung higher in the sky and the sand was beginning to warm beneath his feet as, taking a deep breath, he entered. Sansetsu and Katara were still there, both looking up at him with apprehension, the past Avatar looking away quickly when his gaze fell on him. He couldn't deny his anger, but he also _understood,_ now better than he had ever done before. To the surprise of both Sansetsu and Katara, Aang reached out a hand to him, and confused Sansetsu had looked at it. After a moments hesitation, he grabbed the younger Avatar's hand and Aang pulled him to his feet.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," he said, letting go of his hand as Sansetsu stood unsteadily. "I know it can't have been easy for you. But it's helped me to understand something. I need to be more pro-active in my efforts to beat Tonrar, because even if we do beat him, and we do stop the worlds from colliding, what's to stop Tonrar from choosing someone else when I'm gone? Enough people have suffered, and my beliefs can't be the reason."

Sansetsu's jaw clenched, looking down at Aang with an expression difficult to read, before nodding tightly. Katara stayed sat on the ground, and though she was relieved to see that Aang had forgiven and accepted Sansetsu's tale so readily, she couldn't help but feel fear deep in her heart.

It was not long later that the three of them began to trudge through the desert once more. Hearing Sansetsu's tale left them all feeling somewhat shell-shocked, and though Aang had shown no anger towards his past life, the air was still tense. Sansetsu walked further ahead of them, dealing with his emotions in his own way, whilst Aang and Katara walked hand in hand, her grip right. There was still the acute realisation that they had no food and only the smallest amount of Katara's bending water left available to them, and they couldn't yet see the end of the desert on the horizon, and if that wasn't enough reason to be worried, Katara could not shift the uncomfortable feeling that Aang's acceptance of what he may need to do to beat Tonrar was less a realistation of his own, and more the influence of the dark center of his chi still swirling around inside of him. She knew that the deep rooted anxiety and paranoia that the Spirit World brought out in her could be impacting her, but she couldn't stop the worrying none-the-less. What she wanted was the opportunity to do another healing session on him, to feel for herself whether or not that dark knotted part of his chi had grown.

Eventually, after a full three hours of walking, Aang left out a laugh of relief as, in the distance, a treeline came into view. On his part, he was still preoccupied with the growing heat in his chest, almost as if the darker parts of him had grown tired of waiting for their moments, trying to actively break free from his control, yet he felt certain in his decision to forgive Sansetsu, and the clarity that he was now offered as he accepted what he may need to do to stop Tonrar. However, as much as his insight offered healing to his mind, his body was offered no such relief. His limp had become greatly exaggerated, perhaps in retaliation to the effort he had needed to put into breaking Katara out of the city, and trudging across the desert, and now seeing the possibility of rest ahead of him was almost enough to reduce him to a relieved lump on the ground. He looked down at Katara, who stood weakly at his side with her hand on her forehead as she, too, managed a smile.

"Do you need to rest a bit before we carry on?" Aang asked, concerned, his own bodily pain put aside for a moment. Sansetsu was still ahead of them, pausing at the drop of a dune and looking back.

"I'm ok," Katara assured him. "Honestly, Aang, I just need to get out of this desert, the sooner the better."

"It's probably another hour or so of walking," Aang said, looking back at the treeline with his hand shielding his eyes from the burning sun. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, if you think that you can?"

Sansetsu turned on his feel, satisfied with their decision, before he carried on walking, pacing further ahead of them.

"He's still not talking," Katara muttered, keen to think of something other than the ache in her head. Aang glanced up, looking at the past Avatar's long braid, a relic of his time in Ba Sing Se, shifting in the wind. He wondered why it was that Sansetsu had not shaved it off. He had not said a single word since they had left the cave, and he knew that he was still struggling to deal with what had happened and what he had revealed to them. Despite Aang showing no ill towards him, he knew that the past Avatar no doubt felt shame still, a part of him probably wishing that he had not shared his story with them. He had spent the last thousand years in solitude, after all, there was no way it was going to be an easy transition for him.

"I've been thinking," Aang said, his voice low so that only Katara could hear him, "maybe he's not supposed to be helping us."

Katara frowned. "What do you mean? He said the past Avatar's sent him."

"Well ..." he hesitated, gesturing ahead of him vaguely as he fought for words. "Maybe _we're_ supposed to help _him_."

Her brow rose in surprise, before looking back to the past Avatar who walked, shoulders hunched.

"I mean, think about it," Aang continued. "He's spent the last thousand years thinking about the past, about what he did and what he lost. He's had no absolution, and he's still bitter and angry about it all. Maybe helping me with Tonrar is as much about Sansetsu finding peace as it is about stopping the end of the world?"

"I suppose that makes sense," Katara said. She had learned long ago that nothing was ever as it seemed when it came to _'Avatar Stuff'_ , as Sokka called it, and she had realised that to try and make sense of it was often an exercise in futility, but somehow it did seem right that the two Avatar's affected by Tonrar had been thrust together. After all, so far Sansetsu had yet to teach Aang anything that was so specific to Tonrar ... his training had revolved around building back up his spiritual and physical core, and surely any of the past Avatar's could have done that?"

"But we still have no idea how you're supposed to fight Tonrar," she continued, looking across at him. "Does it seem, well, a bit much to expect you to fix Sansetsu _and_ fight Tonrar?"

But it seemed the past Avatar must have caught his name in their conversation for he paused, looking back over his shoulder with a disgruntled scowl, and the pair fell silent.

At long last they reached the treeline, Katara sinking gratefully into the shade of one of the trees, shutting her eyes as she rest her head back on the bark. Sansetsu and Aang, however, remained on high alert, the forest would offer them shade and shelter, no doubt, but it also made it very difficult to look for danger around them, and it would be far easier now for one of the spirits to sneak up on them.

"I'm going to take a quick look ahead," Sansetsu said, speaking for the the first time since the cave, yet still determined to avoid Aang's gaze. "Take a moment to center yourselves." And with that, the past Avatar was gone, leaving Aang and Katara alone.

"You think we can find any food here?" Katara asked, her eyes opening at Sansetsu's announcement, before she angled her head to look to the tops of the trees. "I'm starving."

"Maybe," Aang said, "but we can definitely get some water at least."

He held out his arms, fingers spread, before with a dragging motion he pulled the water from the leaves of the trees above her, the strange heat in his chest seeming to spread sharply down his limbs as he breathed in sharply with the shock of it. He had fully expected not to get much water, he had never been as good as Katara was at drawing the water from the environment around him, yet the tree swiftly browned, an excess of water being drawn towards him, and Katara's eyebrows shot up.

"Wow, that was some pretty good bending."

Aang blinked, almost unsure of what he was supposed to do with so much water, and surprised at how easily he had been able to draw the vital life source from the tree.

"Yeh," he said, blinking down at his fingertips. "Maybe it's because I'm tired," he reasoned, "I just wasn't paying attention." He tipped the old water from Katara's flask, still attached at his own hip, before replacing it with the fresh, bending a small amount towards her to grab and drink, which she took gratefully. She drank, keeping an eye on Aang as she did so.

"Maybe," she agreed, though she knew as well as he did that neither of them were convinced of that. "We should do another healing session," she said, but Aang shook his head, almost too quickly.

"Not yet, it's not safe here, we're still right on the edge of the desert, and hopefully Sansetsu will be back soon."

"He's not said anything," Katara replied, her voice low. "No word of a plan, or what we're supposed to be doing next ..."

"He probably just needs a bit more time," Aang reasoned.

"Yeh, but how much more of that have we got left?" Katara asked, and Aang fell silent, unable to hide the fact that he, too, was concerned.

Eventually Sansetsu returned, appearing in front of them so suddenly that it caused them both to start, Aang jumping to his feet and dropping into a defensive stance.

"Alright, porcupine-bear, take it easy," Sansetsu said, raising an eyebrow at him as Aang dropped his hands to his side.

"You could have been a spirit!"

"Right, and that would have really scared it off ..."

"If you're going to keep doing that disappearing and appearing stuff now we're on the run you probably should give us some warning from now on," Katara agreed, getting to her feet as well.

"Well, I'll keep that in mind," Sansetsu replied, rolling his eyes. "So, I've got good news and bad news."

"Let's start with the good," Aang suggested.

"Looks like you'll be able to find plenty of food here easy enough, provided you've got nothing against explosive diarrhea."

"And the bad news?" Katara asked whilst Aang pulled a face.

"The forest goes on for miles, and it's fucking riddles with spirits."

"Great."

"I mean, there's no guarantee that they're any of Tonrar's," Sasnetsu continued. "We are in the Spirit World, after all, and the spirits are pretty much a given, but this forest must be a hot spot for them and we'd be wise to assume that at least some of them are linked in some way."

"So, what do we do?" Katara asked. "What's our plan? Aang's not ready to face Tonrar yet, so do we just hide in the forest until he is?"

"You said yourself that we probably don't have much time left," Aang said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, upon which a light fuzz of hair was already starting to grow. "Maybe I just have to face him as I am."

"No," Sansetsu said sharply. "Katara is right, you're not ready, not even close. The state you're in he'll either kill you or you'll kill us."

Aang frowned, feeling himself bristle, his upper lip curling. Sansetsu crossed his arms across his chest, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

"Yeh, that's exactly what I'm talking about," he said. "You're not ready."

"Then what do we do?" Katara repeated. "Where next?"

"You've not left the city in a thousand years," Aang said, unable to stop himself. "Do you even know where else there is to go?"

Sansestu bit his upper lip, nostrils flaring as he looked for a moment like he might hit Aang, but he controlled himself, and Katara reached up to rub her temple tiredly. Although there were no more secrets between the Avatar's, it seemed there was still along way to go before they could be considered friends.

"I may not have left the city," he said, his voice shaking with forced patience, "but I've still been in the spirit world for a thousand years and you hear things. Whether you want to or not."

"Like what?"

Sansetsu took a deep breath, looking back to the desert for a moment, before pulling his dark expression back to the forest. "We can't stay here any longer," he said, "it won't take long before the spirits decide to leave the city and come looking for you, I can explain as we walk."

Though they had had some time to rest, Aang's leg still ached something fierce, but he knew that Sansetsu was right. They were far too visible where they were. He took a moment, looking at the branches of the trees about him, before spotting one that would be about the right size, slicing into the air with his airbending and cutting the branch free. it wasn't the most graceful of aids, but it would do as a walking stick for now. Katara looked at him with concern.

"Is your leg hurting that bad? We could still make time for a healing session ..."

"It'll be fine," Aang replied with a shrug, throwing her a light smile, not willing to let on to her just how much he was hurting, before hurrying after Sansetsu.

"So ... what do you suggest we do next?" he asked, catching up with Sansetsu.

"Look, it's not a sure thing," Sansetsu replied as they walked, "but there is a spirit out here that could help us."

"What kind of spirit?"

"There are some that call her the Spirit of Fortune. Long ago, before even Tonrar grew powerful, humans would come to the Spirit World to find her, hoping that she would grant them a glimpse into their futures. But as is the nature of all things in the Spirit World, what they saw seldom gave them the comfort or the answers that they needed, and many went mad, trapped in their own minds."

Katara and Aang exchanged an alarmed look.

"So, why would be want to speak to her?"

"Because what those humans never understood is that it isn't your future that you see ... but the threads of chance and possibility that spreads out around us, in the past and the future. So long as he understands that, Aang could make sense of what he sees there, and it could offer an answer to stopping, and finding, Tonrar."

Aang frowned, looking down at the ground as they walked. It seemed enticing enough, a chance to see what could lie ahead of him, but his experience with spirits had left him only more and more cautious of them, and it sounded as though the Spirit of Fortune could just as easily prove foe rather than friend.

"I'll try it," he said at length. "If anything, the more spirits we have on our side the better." But Sansetsu just laughed.

"Oh she won't be on our side," he said, looking down at Aang almost cruelly. "Spirits like her don't take sides, especially not with humans."

"Great," Aang muttered, "more difficult spirits." Sansetsu just laughed again.

They walked for a few more miles in the difficult terrain of the forest before Sansetsu seemed sufficiently satisfied that they were far enough away from the city to be relatively hidden for a while, and Aang and Katara were more than ready for a break. There was hardly even enough space for Aang to erect an earth tent, and with all their supplies having been left back in the city, they pair had no choice but to settle down on the leaf littered ground, Katara watching distastefully as a centipede hurried out from underneath her spread hand, burrowing into the detritus at their feet.

"You guys sleep," Sansetsu said, before reaching out and deftly climbing onto the branch of one of the trees surrounding them, his feet dangling. "I can keep watch for a few hours."

Aang wasn't convinced, not sure if he was quite willing to trust he and Katara's lives on the past Avatar just yet, but Katara placed a hand on his arm, smiling encouragingly, and with a resigned sigh he agreed, leaning his back against one of the trees, Katara resting her head on his lap. He wasn't sure if he could sleep, honestly, as tired as he was. It was still daytime, though the forest was dark, and the sounds of the forest were unsettling enough without the threat of spirits looming over them. But Katara was clearly exhausted, and within minutes of settling down her breathing began to slow as she fell asleep, her one of her hands clenched tight to the fabric over his knee as even in her sleep she was not willing to let go of him. With a small sigh he gently pulled her hair back over her ear and out of her face, forgetting for a moment that Sansetsu was still there, sat above them and watching.

"She'll be alright," Sansetsu said, and Aang glanced up at him. "The effect of this place eases in time, the longer she's here the less it will affect her."

"I didn't want her coming because it would be dangerous," Aang said, his voice quiet. "But I had no idea that it would affect her this way just being here."

"The Spirit World is not for humans," Sansetsu replied with a shrug. "But humans keep trying to get in anyway."

"Isn't that what you wanted to do?" Aang asked, emboldened by Sansetu's more talkative attitude. "Bring the poor in Ba Sing Se here?"

For a moment, he was sure that Sansetsu wouldn't respond, the past Avatar's face hardening again as he looked back into the forest.

"Yeh," he finally replied doggedly, "it was. But thank fuck I messed shit up long before that or I would have handed Tonrar thousands of souls he could have snatched rather than just the one, eh?" He smiled down at Aang, but it was a smile tipped with warning, and certainly not inviting Aang to talk any more on the subject. But Aang was not willing to let it drop. He still had questions for Sansetsu.

"What happened to Gotami?" he asked. "To her soul, I mean, after I freed her spirit back in our world." Sansetsu grimaced.

"Why are you asking me this?" he said, his face creasing in his discomfort. "Can't you just leave it alone?"

Aang swallowed, but didn't avert his gaze. "Because I need to know if she's still trapped there," he said, honestly. "Maybe this is the key to freeing everyone else still trapped."

Sansetsu looked back at him for a long moment, before sighing and leaning back against the tree, his arms crossed against his chest.

"I don't think she's still in the city," he said. "There's a lot of souls there, and they move between the courtyards, so it can be hard to keep track of any one soul, so when I couldn't ... find her ... I just assumed she was in another courtyard. But now I'm certain her soul is no longer trapped there. As to what happens after that, I don't know. No one knows that, spirit or human."

"But you could see her there? Before?" Sansetsu shot him an almost pleading look, as if begging Aang in some small way not to ask that question, but the words were already said, and he looked morosely up at the treeline.

"Yes," he replied. "And if you don't mind, I'd rather you didn't ask what that was like."

Aang looked down at Katara sleeping against his leg and knew he didn't need to ask. He could very well imagine what that felt like for himself. He fell silent, contenting himself with brushing his hands through her hair, lost in thought. Sansetsu looked down at him from his place in the tree, his expression pained, before he seemed unable to stay silent any more.

"You do know how lucky you are, right?"

Aang didn't look up from Katara, she stirred lightly, gripping him tighter, before falling still, her breathing slow once more.

"Of course I do," Aang replied eventually. "I don't need some long speech reminding me that if I don't stop Tonrar I'll lose her, I'm aware of that. I've accepted what I have to do."

Sansetsu hummed. "Right. But that's not why I brought it up. There's still plenty of opportunity to fuck things up even if you beat Tonrar and get back to your world, you'd do well to listen to her more. She seems to be right about most things from what I've seen so far."

Aang smiled ruefully. Sansetsu's words seemed like an insult, but there was a pinkness to the past Avatar's cheeks as he looked away and hugged his arms tighter to his chest that suggested that he genuinely cared for Aang's relationship with Katara.

"Yeh, she's pretty much right about everything," Aang agreed, still smiling. "As much as it infuriates the rest of us."

"Tell me about them," Sansetsu said suddenly, "your friends back in your world." Aang looked up in surprise. Sansetsu sounded genuine, and the embarrassed way he avoided Aang's gaze suggested that he was curious despite his discomfort, and Aang chewed his upper lip, considering for a moment.

"Well, Katara has a brother, Sokka. They were the first people I met after I woke from the iceberg, and have pretty much been by my side since then ... he's stubborn, like Katara, and cares just as much. You probably couldn't ask for a more loyal friend, or more forgiving. Despite what I put Katara through he'd still have my back if I needed it."

Sansetsu nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the treeline, and Aang allowed a smile to cross his lips, thinking fondly of his friends back home.

"Then there's Suki, Sokka's girlfriend ... you know Avatar Kyoshi? Well, there's a group of warriors named after her that lived on Kyoshi island, and Suki is their leader. She was pretty sick when I left ... Innua poisoned her, though she wasn't her target." He faltered for a moment, looking back down at Katara. "But she's strong, she's an incredible fighter, and she beat it.

"Toph was my earthbending teacher, and the toughest person you'll ever meet. She invented metalbending, you know?" Sansetsu looked down, impressed. "And now she teaches others. She's ..." he frowned, suddenly finding himself feeling emotional when he thought of the stubborn earthbender that had been his rock through so much. "I suppose she's the one I've always been able to rely on. She is who she is, and unapologetically so, and she has no problems calling me out on any of my nonsense."

"Sounds like exactly the kind of person you need in your life," Sansetsu said, with a small laugh. "I think I'd like her."

"She'd probably like you," Aang muttered. "And then there's Zuko. We didn't start off as friends, the opposite in fact. He was banished by his father until he could capture the Avatar, and for months he chased us before he realised what his true destiny was ... He risked his life so he could teach me firebending, and defeat his father, and now he is the Firelord. He's not the easiest person to get to know, but he is honorable and wise, and if you can get him to smile it's a beautiful thing."

Sansetsu hummed again, a smirk on his face. "Sounds like someone has a crush."

Surprised, Aang laughed, shaking his head. "No, but I do care about him a lot. People think it's me that's supposed to change the world, but they're wrong. It's Zuko that will bring peace, I'm sure of it."

"Right," Sansetsu rolled his eyes. "You forget, I am your past life, I know denial when I see it. But the girlfriend's sleeping there, so I'll back off."

Aang looked down at Katara, feeling his cheeks grow warm at Sansetsu's ribbing, but pleasantly so. They were starting to bond, and he was relieved of that.

"I often wonder why the Avatar Spirit chose me, and not Kade," Sansetsu said, taking Aang back. "Perhaps she just walked through the wrong door, I don't know, but he would have been far better at it than I ever was. He was the kind of man that could have brought peace. But he wasn't the airbender chosen, and the one that was was too pig-headed to listen to him."

Aang hardly dared to breath, should he ruin the moment. He could see how hard it was for Sansetsu to open up about Kade, but also that he desperately needed to.

"I'll never know why he stuck by me after all the shit I put him through, I certainly didn't deserve it."

"Because he loved you," Aang replied. "I'll always wonder what I've done to deserve to have someone like Katara, but it's not my place to question her feelings. If he loved you, then there was a reason for that."

Sansetsu fell silent then, nodding to himself, and Aang realised that he had said all that he was going to that night.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep," Aang said. "Wake me if you hear anything?"

"Sure thing."

"G'night, Sansetsu."

"Call me Sunny, won't you? I never liked the name Sansetsu."

Aang smiled again. "Sure thing. Night, Sunny."

Sunny grunted in response.

 **A/N: Thank you for your patience everyone. I had a long think about this chapter before I wrote it, after all I am certain that the expectation of some would be that Aang would react angrily to Sansetsu's tale; his current emotional state could hardly be called stable, after all. But, the thing is, it wouldn't achieve anything for either Aang nor Sansetsu, and I am glad that I was instead able to write the pair tentatively bonding for the very first time.**

 **Sansetsu isn't a bad guy. He's made some bad choices, and his attitude kinda stinks, but it wouldn't be ATLA without characters making amends for their poor decisions in the past. Plus, I'll be honest, I pretty much love him and he is my favourite character to write ... I am really excited to continue to write more about the both of them.**


	21. The Army and the Acolyte

In a lowly lit room, flames flickering across the lamps casting dancing shadows across the ground, the Firelord leaned back in his throne, breathing out a long pained breath as he pressed his palms against his eyes. He was, in truth, exhausted. He was no stranger to chronic fatigue, his role as the Firelord, as a peacemaker, and to many extents a tutor to his little sister now, left little time to rest let alone sleep. His advisors had even had the nerve before the storm began to suggest that he begin meeting suitors to fill the role of Firelady, and he had only been able to laugh almost hysterically at the suggestion. Now, such thoughts were far behind any of them, and the questions his advisors had for him were far harder to answer. The electric storm had not returned, but the ominous orange sky above them had not faded, and even their nights were full of that sickly orange glow, and the rumours surrounding what was happening had swiftly spread. Most alarming for Zuko was just how many people were certain that the world was ending ... that the spirits were angry with them for the past one hundred years of war, and they had finally decided to punish the Fire Nation. Though no one guessed the real cause, exactly, the rumours were disturbingly close to the mark, and it was all Zuko could do to prevent panic was breaking out.

But even more pressing than the very obvious signs of their world breaking down, was the looming threat of retaliation from the Northern Water Tribe. In the event of the electric storms, Zuko had allowed himself to imagine that perhaps the battle would be called off, and that not even Hanh would want to risk a war with their world seeming to be collapsing, but a small scout ship had been sent out as soon as the seas had settled, and it had returned with news that there was, indeed, a large army coming from the North. The number of ships was difficult to say, the scout ship had to be careful to return before it was spotted, but estimates were in the dozens. War was coming to them, whether they were ready for it or not.

"Zuko?"

He opened his eyes, lowering his hands with a sigh, looking down to see Suki standing at the foot of his place up on the throne. She looked healthier, much healthier, and was back in her Kyoshi armour and make-up for the first time in months, and despite Sokka's protests had insisted that she continue her role as the Firelord's guard. He was grateful for it, truthfully. He had stepped back when she was unwell, knowing that Sokka needed to be the one at her side, but he had been overwhelmed with worry for her and was glad to have his friend back at his side again.

"Alright," he said heavily. "Let's get started."

Suki nodded, an encouraging smile on her mouth, before she headed to the doors and opened them. Sokka was quickly inside of the room, grabbing her hand almost protectively, throwing a frustrated glare in Zuko's direction. He knew full well that Sokka was angry at him for allowing Suki to return to her duties. Chief Hakoda, Ty Lee, Toph, and Xing Ying came after, the latter hovering close to the injured earthbender. Toph would not allow anyone to assist her, her ego had been bruised enough already, but Xing Ying was smart enough to know that she still needed someone close by in case she fell. Zuko was thankful that the Acolyte had taken the roll on for herself, he had not wanted to be the one to order a nanny for Toph, he had enough to be dealing with without a beating from the Avatar's earthbending teacher.

"So, am I right to assume that this means there's some bad news?" Toph demanded, taking her seat and crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm afraid so, yes," Zuko replied, rubbing his face tiredly as everyone else took their seats. "The scouts returned just over an hour ago, and have confirmed the worst. There is an army from the North headed this way."

Silence followed his words, a silence that was more telling than any other reaction could be. He saw Hakoda look down to his lap, his eyes scrunching up in pain for a moment, and he felt great sympathy for the man. He had considering Arnook a friend, after all, and to learn that his sister tribe was headed this way to begin a new war was no doubt painful for him. Sokka reached out and placed a comforting hand on his father's shoulder, but his face was grey, nauseous.

"It's difficult to say how many ships there are," Zuko continued, "and how many men on each ship, but we can assume that, if General Hanh is leading them, it will be a large force." He hesitated now, his gaze lingering on Sokka and Hakoda. "I have requested advice from someone who may know more about it that we do."

At that, Sokka's head snapped up, and Hakoda too struggled to hide the fury on his face.

"No," Sokka said firmly. "Absolutely not."

"Sokka," Zuko said tiredly, "he has offered to help us and right now we need that. I know it's difficult for you-"

"It's not just difficult, it's impossible," Sokka snarled. "He worked for Innua! Suki almost died because of her! Katara was kidnapped because of him!"

"And Toph's alive because of him, too," Suki said, her voice quiet yet confident, looking up at Sokka. Sokka clenched his jaw, his gaze shifting between Suki and Toph, his expression clearly torn.

"I'm not asking you to like him," Zuko offered, looking between Sokka and Hakoda, "but he's not the only person in this room that's done bad things for the wrong side in the past."

Hakoda's expression softened at this, and Sokka looked away, glaring at the table yet nodding minutely. Zuko realised that was the best he was going to get from either of them, and sighed, before nodding at the guards stood by the door. After a moment, it opened, and Kanto was lead into the room. True to his word, Zuko had not placed him back in chains, and he entered the throne room unshackled, if not uncertain, his eyes sweeping across the group almost as if assessing the threat. Everyone bar Sokka looked back at him, Hakoda keeping his expression closed, yet not offering any hostility. Zuko noticed Toph pressing her palm to the floor, reading everyone in the room, and he was both comforted yet alarmed by this gesture. He knew full well that there was something developing between her and the Northern man, and he did not envy her when Sokka realised it as well.

"Kanto, please take a seat."

Kanto looked at the table, and those seated around it, alarmed for a moment before Xing Ying shuffled across and gestured to the space beside her, and notably away from the two Southern men.

"Everyone in the room knows this already, but I do need to press upon the importance of discretion in these meetings. Not a word of what is said here today shall be uttered outside of these four walls without prior permission, do you understand?"

Kanto nodded, looking for all the world like the thought of saying a single word either outside of the throne room or in was the furthest thing from his mind.

"A scout has confirmed that the Northern Water Tribe is sending an army to our shores," Zuko continued, reiterating for Kanto's sake. The Northern man shut his eyes for a moment, as if steeling himself. "We can't tell for certain how many ships, which is why I have asked you here, Kanto. Could you guess how many men we should expect?"

Kanto looked up at him, his brow furrowed.

"A lot of that will depend on how convincing Hanh was when he returned to Arnook," he said, hesitantly at first. "I'm not going to sugar coat it, the North has a big army, and it's only grown since the war."

"How big?" Hakoda asked. Kanto flashed him an almost apologetic look.

"Well, for the last few years it's been Innua calling the shots, though only those of us closest to her knew that. Arnook is ... he is not well. Not physically sick," he added quickly, to the shock on everyone's faces, "but since losing his daughter and Admiral Zhao's attack, he has been unsettled."

"But he always seemed so ..." Hakoda trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"Chief Arnook's control over the North has been slipping for a while," Kanto confirmed. "I don't know how things work in the South, but now that Arnook has no heir, the role of Chief could be taken by anybody with enough support behind them."

"It's always been that way in the South," Sokka said, speaking for the first time, yet still choosing not to make eye contact with the man. "The role of Chief isn't inherited, it's earned."

"So, what does this mean for us?" Suki asked.

"I'd say the chances are high that Arnook either believes that the Fire Nation is responsible for Innua's death, or that he was quickly over-ruled if he didn't. Hanh likely has the full force of the North behind him ... we have a lot of ships, not all of them suitable for war, mind. I'd guess about ..." Kanto paused, biting his lower lip as she seemed to count under his breath. "Twenty ships in all. Each one can easily hold about one hundred and fifty men ... I would expect an army in the thousands."

Zuko blinked, his mouth dry as he tried to swallow. One hundred and fifty men, twenty ships ... that could be close to three thousand warriors arriving on his shores in a matter of weeks. He had seen armies larger, the Fire Nation had had routinely sent out armies twice that size in the last one hundred years, but he hadn't even close to that number of healthy, strong soldiers in the city. Everyone else at the table looked horrified, too. Toph seemed to have snatched her hand from the ground, scowling.

"How are we supposed to fight that many people?" Ty Lee asked, the first of them daring to speak. "Forget the numbers for a moment, even those of us that can fight are half starved right now."

As one, everyone turned to look at Sokka, who still glared down at the table. After a moment, he felt the weight of their gaze and he looked up in alarm.

"Whoa, why are you all looking at me?"

"You _are_ the idea guy," Toph said, with a wave of her hand.

"Zuko's the warlord!" Sokka protested, gesturing to Zuko.

"No, I'm not," Zuko said heatedly. "Look, if we're going to win this then we're going to need to win it on smarts. Like it or not, Sokka, you're the one that always comes up with the best plans."

"That's a lot of pressure," Sokka grumbled.

"There is one thing we have to our advantage," Kanto spoke now, and even Sokka begrudgingly looked across at him. "They have numbers, sure, but Hanh is only a General in title ... he is loud and hot headed and for Innua's purposes he was perfect, but he is no master strategist, and emotional enough to make some pretty big mistakes. Innua isn't there, I'm not there, he's been left alone to stew over his need for revenge, and that's something that we can use."

Sokka placed a hand to his chin, frowning thoughtfully back at Kanto. "He went after Zhao on his own," he said. "I bet you anything he'll be the one to want to fight Zuko, too."

"I'm not saying this to brag," Zuko said, "but he genuinely has no chance against me on a one-on-one."

But Toph suddenly swore, and loudly, making everyone in the room jump and look around at her.

"That's the point!" she said, almost furious. "Look ... we can't look at the situation in the North and what's going on with Tonrar and the Spirit World as two separate issues. Innua must have wanted a war between the North and the Fire Nation for a reason."

"But if the world is, well, going to end if Aang doesn't stop Tonrar then what difference would it make to start a war here?" Suki asked.

"I don't know," Toph admitted, "maybe Innua never predicted that. Aang didn't. But we can assume that Innua was well aware that Hanh would go straight after Zuko when he got here. So, either Zuko kills Hanh or imprisons him, right? That's your war, right there. Sorted. The rest of the world won't see the North attacking the Fire Nation, just the Firelord using his strength against another Nation, again."

"So, Zuko shouldn't fight Hanh," Sokka said, nodding his head in understanding. Zuko groaned, rubbing his tired face. Toph was right, win or lose this battle it would still start a war.

"Then what do we do?" Xing Ying asks. "I mean ... if it's anything like the one hundred year war then surely we need the Avatar to stop Hanh, right? To bring real peace again. But, well ..." she fell silent.

"If only we could find out how Aang is doing over there," Zuko sighed. "We need a way to avoid this battle, but without Aang's help I just don't know how to do that."

"Maybe we could find out."

Zuko looked over, surprised. Xing Ying's voice was quiet, and her face flushed red with embarrassment.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"Well, I've not tried to yet but ... I might be able to cross into the Spirit World. Maybe I can contact Aang."

"Is that such a good idea?" Toph asked bluntly. "I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but we know Tonrar's in the spirit world, right? What if he catches you?"

"I won't be there long," Xing Ying assured, though her voice shook notably after Toph's warning. "And I might not even be able to find Aang there, but it's worth a try, surely?"

Everyone on the table looked uncomfortable, Kanto peering curiously across at the Air Acolyte.

"If, knowing the risks, you still want to try this, then I support you," Zuko said finally. "Aang had a lot of faith in your abilities, and so do I."

Xing Ying flushed pink again, before nodding. "I'll need help," she said tentatively. "Just someone nearby ... in case ..."

They all knew that in the event that Tonrar found her and trapped her soul over there, there wasn't much that any of them could do, but they understood the simple plea for her not to go through this alone, and Zuko nodded.

"I'll be there," he said, and Xing Ying looked up at him with some surprise. "I'm not going to pretend to know much about the Spirit World, but both Aang and Uncle have told me plenty of stories about it."

"Thank you," Xing Ying breathed.

"Ok, well that's great and all," Sokka said, trying hard not to sound exasperated, "but assuming you either don't find Aang, or he can't help us, we still need to prepare ourselves for the North's army. It was one thing when we had all that snow that we could have used as barricades-"

"The North is full of waterbenders," Kanto interrupted. "I'd say the lack of snow here now is a good thing."

Sokka looked irritated to have been interrupted but the man, but did not argue. He looked to Toph.

"Toph, how are you feeling?"

"Are you asking if I feel up to taking on three thousand waterbenders? Because I gotta say, Sokka, I'm flattered but even I've got limits."

"No no, I mean, do you feel well enough to help us?"

Toph rolled her shoulders, wincing only slightly. "Yeh, I've had worse. Why, what do you need?"

"The North might have a shit load of waterbenders," Sokka replied, "but we've got firebenders and, better still a metalbender. You said we needed to fight smart, right? Well that means choosing when and where to fight them."

"Well, don't leave us guessing, what do you have in mind?"

"There are two things that make waterbenders more powerful, right? Access to water and the moon! Hanh might not be smart, but he'll know enough to have his benders attack at night, and by the ocean. So, we bring the fight to Caldera, away from the ocean, and we make it so difficult to get there that there's no way they could do it in a single night."

"They'll be exhausted and away from their biggest power source," Hakoda said, thumping his son hard on the back.

"Exactly," Sokka said, his face flushing slightly. "Toph, you can create a series a barriers all the way up the volcano, and we can blast them from above. Maybe we'll make it difficult enough that they turn back and we can avoid the fight to begin with!"

Zuko turned to Kanto. "You know Hanh best, do you think this could work?"

The Northern man, still clearly startled for having been asked his opinion in the first place, looked between Sokka and the Firelord, still chewing his lip.

"I don't think anything is going to make Hanh turn back," he admitted, "he's far too single minded to consider any other course of action at this point. But they'll be on foot, in unfamiliar territory, choking them on their way up to the city is probably going to be your best move."

"And you're going to be ok with that?" Toph asked suddenly, her head inclined in his direction and her expression blunt. "Some of your people will get hurt, some may even get killed. Are you really going to be able to stand aside and let that happen?"

Kanto flushed, his eyes widening just a fraction before he tore his gaze from Toph, swallowing and looking down at his hands. Sokka looked at the man with clear dislike and distrust, and Zuko found himself leaning forward in his throne in spite of himself.

"I ..." Kanto paused, struggling. Sokka let out a derisive snort, crossing his arms and leaning back. "You know what? No."

Zuko felt his eyebrows raise, and Toph looked taken back.

"I'm not at all ok with it," Kanto continued, throwing his hands in the air with a dry laugh. "Hanh might be the one leading my people to war but I'm the one that's betraying them, helping the Firelord no less. I am far from cool with this whole sorry situation, but what else am I supposed to do?"

"Hey, it's not you that's betrayed your people, it's Hanh," Toph replied seriously. "He's got no problem leading all his people to war just to compare dick size with Zuko-"

Zuko choked, his face blazing red as Sokka's eyes widened with little less than pure delight.

"-But you're here to warn us to try and save lives," Toph continued, raising her voice so that she could be heard over the howl of laughter from Sokka as he bowled over, gripping his sides, Zuko glaring in indignation. "So long as you understand the full gravity of the situation and you're not going to get cold feet last minute and screw us over, it'd probably be more worrying if you didn't have a problem with this."

"Toph's right," Suki said, after rolling her eyes at Sokka as he wiped a tear from his eyes, "this isn't a great situation for any of us to be in, and none of us want to hurt any of your people. Hopefully we can avoid that as much as possible now that we have time to prepare."

"Not enough," Zuko sighed, his face still pink and shooting dark glares in Sokka's direction, "best estimate is that the Northern ships will be onto us in a week, ten days at most if the weather decides to take another turn for the worst."

"We can get the barricades erected in that time easy," Sokka said, his face twisting once more as he looked as though he was trying to fight back another laugh.

"Don't," Suki warned.

"Sorry, sorry," Sokka waved a hand, clearing his throat. "What I mean to say is, with the barricades and the firebending going, we should be fine, providing Zuko can keep it up-"

"Oh for spirit's sake!"

But Sokka was gone, his forehead hitting the table hard as he laughed once more. His father beside him, who had managed to keep a straight face up until now, quickly ducked his face behind his arm as if to scratch his ear, but his laugh could be heard clearly. Zuko took a deep breath, snorting fire as he crossed his arms across his chest, as the rest of the table began to snigger, Sokka's loud laugh infectious. Kanto looked remarkably more at ease, and despite his irritation Zuko supposed that he couldn't begrudge Sokka a few jokes to ease the air, and it was certainly better than the angry Southerner he was growing more accustomed to dealing with.

"Oh, Toph, thank you so much for that," Sokka managed, rubbing both his tear-struck eyes. "Comedy gold."

"I aim to please!"

"Well, comedy aside, we've got a lot that we need to prepare," Zuko said, keen to push the conversation back towards the serious matter at hand. "Xing Ying, when do you think you'll be ready to try and go into the Spirit World?"

"I suppose ... any time," Xing Ying replied, playing with the ends of her long hair distractedly. "As I said, I don't know if I can, but I can try. Is there any part of the Capital that has a high spiritual connection?"

Zuko pulled a face. "I doubt it," he said, a little sadly. "My father had no time for matters of the spirit world, and my great grandfather hid a lot of our history. If there was somewhere, the only person left who might know is my Uncle, and he's a long way from here."

"Well, Aang was able to go into the Spirit World easy enough from his room, right?" Ty Lee said, brightly. "Maybe he has some spirity trinkets or, I dunno, pretty candles or something that could help?"

"He did have that pendant that he wore," Sokka offered, cheeks still pink. "He'd use that when he meditated all the time."

"I don't remember him bringing it with him when we went to the Eastern Air Temple," Xing Ying, eyes raised to the ceiling as she tried to remember. "Maybe he left it behind ... but it's a sacred Air Nomad artifact," she added hurriedly, her hands wringing, "what if he doesn't want me playing with it?"

"I think Aang would forgive you if it meant you were able to connect with him in the Spirit World," Zuko assured.

"He'll be too impressed to care," Toph agreed.

"Then it's settled then," Sokka said. "Xing Ying tries to contact Aang, and we start preparing for the Northern invasion. We should try and get everyone into Caldera City as we can, it'll be a tight squeeze but we just don't have the numbers to protect anyone down in the harbour right now."

"Agreed." Zuko got to his feet now, "I'll speak to Mamoru and we'll get started." He paused, looking at Kanto and then Sokka, his face apprehensive for a moment, and Sokka quickly understood what the Firelord was getting at, and he rolled his head back whining in exasperation.

"Kanto," Zuko said, and the Northern man looked up, "I need you to stick with Sokka and Hakoda. The three of you know more about the North than any of us do combined, and I need you to work together here."

"I've got no problem with that," Kanto said quickly.

"Fine," Sokka grumbled, and Hakoda nodded stiffly.

"Toph," Zuko continued, "go with them, if you feel up to it."

"Please, I could sort the barricades on my own," she said with a wave of the hand. "If anything they'll be slowing me down."

Zuko hoped that she was right. He had seen her wince more than once during the conversation, but if anybody was strong enough to shrug off an injury like she had had it was Toph. And Kanto trusted her, something that he knew would be vital if the Northern man was going to work well with everyone.

"Xing Ying, if you could prepare best you can," Zuko said, his voice kind as he looked down at Aang's best pupil, her eyes wide like saucers, "I'll come and meet you outside Aang's room in three hours?" She nodded.

"Let's do this," Toph said, getting to her feet, and nudging Kanto with her elbow as she walked past. "Come on, Madcap, times wasting."

"Ugh, I can't believe she's already given him a nickname," Sokka grumbled to Suki as he got to his feet to follow them and his father from the room.

Though she was supposed to be trying to calm herself, meditating and preparing to cross into the Spirit World, Xing Ying found she spent the next few hours simply pacing in her room, hands wringing, sweating, and panicking. Yee-Li, who had only just returned to their room after meeting with Dekho, sat on the bed watching her, her face almost green with nausea as she watched her fellow Acolyte pace faster and faster.

"You need to relax, Xi," she said earnestly, "just watching you is making me nervous."

"I can't relax!" Xing Ying cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Oh spirits, why did I offer to do this? I don't know how to get into the Spirit World! I don't even know if I can!"

"I don't get why you're getting so worked up about it! If you can't go into the Spirit World then no big deal, just help with the invasion like everyone else is-"

"But you don't understand," Xing Ying whined, pulling at her hair, "I have to do this! There's no one else who can go into the Spirit World and try to talk with Aang!"

"Huh," Yee-Li leaned back, crossing her arms across the chest and nodding. "So that's what you're really worried about isn't it? Seeing Aang."

Xing Ying flushed, looking angrily over her shoulder at her friend, who looked back at her from under her thick fringe. "No," she shot back immediately. "I'm worried about embarrassing myself! I did mention that it's _Firelord Zuko_ that's going to try and help me right? What was I thinking?" She collapsed on her bed, groaning into her palms as she pressed them against her face.

"I never know what you're thinking, Xi," Yee-Li sighed. "You've had a thing for Aang for ages, then spend weeks alone with him and don't do anything about it. Then you get a chance to go into the Spirit World, something you've always wanted by the way, and now you're second guessing yourself again!"

Xing Ying sat up straight. "What was I supposed to do about it?" she all but cried, her face burning. "He kissed Katara before we left. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Sounds like excuses to me," Yee-Li said in a sing-song voice.

"And I never thought I'd have to try and go into the Spirit World on my own," Xing Ying continued hotly, "I thought we'd be taught how first! I didn't think I'd have to just try and work it out as a go along-"

"Blah blah blah, come on Xi, grow some backbone won't you?"

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Xing Ying asked.

"Because I know you can do this!" Yee-Li replied, exasperated. "Come on, Xi, have some confidence in yourself for once, won't you? You've spent hours in here getting worked up about this and you're sabotaging yourself like you always do! Do you know what I'd give to have half as much talent in all of this as you do?"

Xing Ying fell silent, looking back at her friend. Yee-Li's cheeks flushed now, but her expression was open and earnest, encouraging her. She felt both touched and guilty, rubbing the back of her arms self-consciously as she looked back at her knees.

"I'm sorry," she said in a quiet voice. "I don't mean to annoy you-"

"You're not annoying me," Yee-Li rolled her eyes, before getting up from her place on the bed and taking Xing Ying's hands. "I'm just trying to make you understand how frustrating it is to watch you doubt yourself and waste your chances! Take a moment, collect yourself, and go and meet the Firelord. I'm telling you you can do this, alright?"

Xing Ying took a deep breath, and nodded, squeezing her friend's hand tight for a moment before letting go. She still felt far from calm about the entire situation, but took Yee-Li's advice anyway, crossing her legs beneath her and breathing steadily in through her nose, and out through her mouth, until she felt her shaking hands start to still. She heard Yee-Li slump back onto her bed, and felt her nerves starting to settle just a touch. She still wasn't convinced that she'd be able to pass into the Spirit World, but Yee-Li was right, she never would if she kept stressing herself out. It was something Aang had also pointed out to her, she realised, and with a new wave of nerves she opened her eyes again.

"Ok, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she said heavily, as Yee-Li nodded.

"I've got faith in you," she said. "And don't forget, if you can't go into the Spirit World, it's not that you've failed. This is a difficult thing to ask anybody to do."

Xing Ying smiled weakly back at her, before stepping out of the room and making her way to Aang's old room, her heart still somewhere in the region of her mouth.

She found the Firelord waiting there. He leaned against the wall, his eyes shut, and his exhaustion was evident in the lines across his face, the dark shadow under his un-scarred eye. She felt a rush of empathy towards him. The stress she found herself feeling now couldn't even be close to what the Firelord had been going through the last few months, and it was incredible that he hadn't already broken down.

"Firelord Zuko?"

His eyes opened, brow raising as he looked over at her, a strained smile on his face trying vainly to mask his exhaustion.

"Xing Ying," he said, inclining his head. "You ready?"

"I hope so," she replied. Zuko hummed and nodded, before turning to the door and opening it.

It felt strange entering Aang's room, Xing Ying realised, as if they were somehow encroaching into the Avatar's private, secret world. Aang had never been particular about privacy, unless he was meditating, though he had grown more reclusive during his time here in the palace, but it still felt decidedly wrong walking into the Avatar's empty room. He had made a half-hearted effort to tidy before he had left, she noticed, clothing folded and thrown into a basket in the corner, books and parchment stacked in the other, but he had clearly been in a hurry at the time. A pillow lay on the floor, and the blankets were scrunched down at the base of his bed. She noticed a blue hair tie lying at the head of the bed, and felt a peculiar jolt in her stomach as she looked at it, realising that he and Katara must have spent the night together before he had taken off to the Eastern Air Temple. She knew that everyone sort of assumed this already, but it was weird seeing the evidence of it so clearly. She looked away, glancing at Zuko who paid no heed to the mess in the room and instead was reaching down to pick up the pillow and push aside the sheets, searching.

"Perhaps he did take it with him," Zuko mused, as Xing Ying looked around the room again, eying the laundry for a moment before deciding decisively that she certainly wouldn't be rummaging through it.

"I'm sure I would have seen it," she said, heading to the small desk in one corner, and picking up the scrolls and books. "Ah! Found it!"

Zuko threw the pillow back onto the bed, walking to where she was as she pulled the wooden necklace from behind the quill and ink.

"You know, for a monk he really wasn't one for cleanliness," he said, eying an ink stain on the dark wood. Xing Ying couldn't help but feel startled at his choice of words. Surely _'isn't'_ is what he meant?

"He was probably in a rush," she said softly, holding the pendant to her chest. "Do we try here?"

Zuko shrugged, looking down at her. "You'll know that better than I."

"Right." She stood where she was for a moment, feeling her cheeks start to warm at the intensity of the Firelord's gaze. She had never spent any time alone with him, and she wondered whether he had any idea quite how intimidating his presence could be. She walked into the center of the room, where she had sat when the spirit, Gotami, had come to her, before pulling the necklace over her head, gripping the large wooden disk that hung over her breast. It was heavier than she had expected.

"I've never crossed over before," she said, her eyes wide and glassy as she looked back at Zuko, still stood by the desk. "So, I might not ..."

"It's ok, Xing Ying," Zuko said encouragingly. "I'm not going to be disappointed if you can't, I know it's a big ask. Even Aang struggled crossing over to start with without a guide."

"A guide ..." Xing Ying let go of the pendant, her hands coming to her mouth as she realised something. "Yes! I need a guide!"

Zuko blinked back at her, confused.

"The spirit Gotami," she said, breathless with excitement. "Maybe she's still here, in the Palace? Maybe I can call upon her to help me."

"You think that will work?"

"No idea, but it's worth a try." She knelt down on the ground, before pulling her legs into a crossed position, settling back and holding her the pendant back in her hand. She pressed her hands together, one gripping the pendant in a fist, the other held straight, just as she had seen Aang do in the past.

"Where do you want me?"

"Sit opposite me," she said, "if you can meditate too, I'm sure that would help."

Zuko nodded, sitting down in front of her. It was a peculiar situation she found herself in ... Aang's empty room, with the Firelord sat opposite her still dressed in his elaborate high collared robes, and she wondered how she was ever going to relax enough to meditate, but she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth as she had practiced, and tried to still her wildly beating heart.

"Spirit Gotami," she said at length, hesitantly. "If you're here, please, I need to speak with you."

Disappointed, though not altogether surprised, Xing Ying heard nothing in response, the only sound being the wind battering the window by the bed, and Zuko's steady breathing. Zuko sat comfortably opposite her, his eyes gazing across the room looking for signs of the spirit, before he patiently looked back at her. She swallowed, trying vainly to fight off the embarrassed blush threatening to creep up on her cheeks.

"Spirit Gotami," she tried again, "if you can hear me, please let me know."

A further minute passed, Xing Ying starting to think that she was going to have to try and cross over without the spirit's help, before there was any indication that the spirit was still in the Palace, and that she had indeed heard her. A bitterly cold breeze passed over them, Xing Ying opening her eyes and breathed in sharply. She hardly dared to move, or make a single noise as she waited, Zuko too sitting dead still, his eyes darting about the room before fixing on a spot to his left. Xing Ying, too, looked in that direction, and saw to mixed relief and apprehension the elegant form of Gotami standing beside her, her large silver eyes looking out from a curtain of straight black hair.

 _I had not expected for you to call upon me again, sweet child,_ the spirit said, her voice soft and lyrical.

"I am sorry for disturbing your peace, Gotami," Xing Ying said, her hands still pressed together in respect. "I apologise if it was disrespectful."

 _I do not expect to find peace again for some time,_ Gotami replied, bowing her head. _But if there is a way that I can help you, then I will do what I can_.

Xing Ying swallowed, looking over at Zuko for a moment. The spirits large kind eyes rested on him for a moment, but she seemed not to be bothered or even intrigued by his presence, instead focusing her attention back on Xing Ying once more. Zuko stayed silent, as though he was worried that any movement on his part might scare the spirit way.

"I need to get into the Spirit World," Xing Ying replied honestly, "and I'm afraid I don't know how to do that on my own."

The spirit shut her eyes, shaking her head minutely for a moment, before looking back at her with a certain sadness.

 _I don't advise it, dear child_ , she said. _The spirit Tonrar is back in the spirit world, and if he finds you he will not hesitate._

"I know that," Xing Ying said, "but I think I have to try anyway. The Avatar has been in the Spirit World for months now, and there is a war coming ... we have to find a way to contact him."

 _You would risk your life for that?_

Xing Ying bit her lip. "If it can stop people from dying, then yes."

The spirit looked down at her, face still, dark hair and robes swaying in the light breeze that seemed to come from her.

 _I can help you to cross into the Spirit World, she said at long last, but I cannot help you find the Avatar. That you will need to do on your own._

Xing Ying nodded eagerly, so relieved to hear that the spirit was going to help her that she didn't spare a thought as to how she was supposed to actually find Aang in the Spirit World once she got there. Zuko, at least, seemed aware of his issue, and she felt a warmth on her arm, looking around to see him eyeing her with concern.

"Do you know how you'll find Aang?" he asked. "The Spirit World is a big place, you can't wander across it hoping to walk into him."

"I-" she hesitated, looking back up the spirit.

 _It is possible that you can guide yourself to him, she said, but that is only possible if there is a strong bond between you. Do you think that you could feel him, his energy, among the noise of the Spirt World?_

This time she was sure that she blushed, remembering for a moment all the times she had contended herself to just feel the power in his presence, the calmness of his aura. She had studied it many times before, and though she knew that he had felt different after he had faced Tonrar a second time in the South Pole, she was certain he could pick his energy out. She felt Zuko watching her intently, and avoided his gaze, knowing that she had probably just made her feelings towards the Avatar perfectly clear to him.

"I think so, yes," she said, her voice unsteady. Gotami nodded once.

 _Then meditate on it. Shut your eyes, and meditate on his energy._

Uncertain, Xing Ying shut her eyes, acutely aware of the Firelord's presence in the room but trying hard to push past it and focus. She tried to remember the first time that she and the Acolytes had meditated with Aang, remembering even the nerves she had felt at the time mixed in with the excitement. She had sat close to him, watching as he had shut his eyes and breathed out easy, the rest of the class copying him, some in somewhat of a daze to find themselves in such close company with the Avatar. At first she had not shut her eyes likes the others, instead looking at him, eyes roving across his elegant form, and she had felt his power so acutely, so strongly in that moment. For it was power that she felt most keenly, an impossible power that didn't seem like it should be possible coming from one person, but with it came a sense of peace as well. She felt safe, despite the power the person in front of her wielded, and she felt comforted. It smelled sweet like incense, light like the low winter sun kissing frost, earthy like morning rain in spring, and it had overwhelmed her senses as she had finally shut her eyes, letting her mind roam. She felt and sensed these things just as strongly now as she had when she was sat with him, and with her eyes shut she had not realised that she had already started to step away from the physical world, feeling a cold hand in hers tugging her gently forwards. Then, suddenly she was surrounded by noise, the sound of wind rustling through leaves, birds crying from above her, and she opened her eyes sharply, gasping.

She stood in a forest, of that she was certain, but she could not make up much else around her. It seemed, at first, like any ordinary forest ... the trees looked like unlike any that you might find in the earth kingdom, she even saw a red breasted bird that she was familiar with quickly take flight to her left, and she looked around her confused. Then, she spotted Gotami, standing behind her, looking at her with an expression curiously mingled with pride and sadness.

"Are we here? Are we in the Spirit World?"

"We are." Her voice sounded different here, less like it was coming from inside her own head, and more like it was coming from the beautiful woman that stood so close to her. Xing Ying turned on the spot, looking in each direction.

"Does that mean he's here? Are we close to Aang?"

Gotami cocked her head slightly to one side, smiling sadly. "I think you'll know that better than I. Concentrate, can you feel his energy?"

Xing Ying shut her eyes again, taking a deep breath and reaching out both physically and mentally around her, her fingers stretching out almost subconsciously as she searched. And she felt it, clear as day, the same scent and sensation that she knew to be his, coming strongly from ahead of her. She was too excited to consider the dangers of where she was, or to think much more on the sad expression on Gotami's face, as she opened her eyes and set resolutely forward. She was aware of the sensation of the earth at her feet, the plants brushing against her hands, but she knew that she was not physically feeling it.

"I'm not saying it wasn't impressive," came a voice ahead of her. A beautiful voice. _His voice_. "I'm just saying that every kid could do that when I grew up."

"Right, but I was the _original_ ," came another voice, one that she didn't recognise, "the first airbender to do that trick with an airball. So, I'm just saying that I was better at it."

"Well lucky for you you can't do any airbending here, because I'd absolutely kick your butt."

"Are you both really arguing about this?" came a third voice, Katara's voice, exasperated and worn down. They were here, both of them, she had found them. Aang and the other man, the other airbender with them, said nothing in response however. "What, what's wrong?"

"There's something out there." She heard Aang, they were close now.

"Spirit?" Katara breathed.

"If it is then it's heading right towards us," the unfamiliar voice growled. "Hold still, spirit!" he called, "or one of these lunatics here will blast you."

"Wait!" Xing Ying found herself crying, before breaking through the last cover of trees, panting and coming to a sharp stop. "I'm not a spirit!"

"Xing Ying?" She heard Aang's voice, surprised, before in a moment she found herself pulled into a tight hug, her face pressed against a hard chest that smelled so strongly of a summer's breeze and sea salt, earthiness and the smokiness of a fresh fire. Though she knew she wasn't there, she felt him none-the-less, her senses almost overwhelmed by it before she was let go, opening her eyes to see Aang standing before her, his expression both ecstatic and shocked. He looked different, she realised. His beard was a little longer, scruffier, yet his hair shorter, and despite the dirt on his face and hands he looked stronger, healthier than he had done when he had left for the Spirit World, and her heart fluttered.

"Who the fuck is this?"

She blinked, peering around Aang to see a sight that had her jaw drop. The man standing beside Katara pulled a face, crossing his arms across his large chest. He had tattoo's on his forehead, dressed in orange like the Air Nomads, his facial features remarkably similar to Aang's.

"Who's he?" she gasped, pointing at him. The man threw his hands into the air, glaring pointedly at Aang, who still seemed to be looking at Xing Ying in shock.

"How did you get here?" he asked, ignoring the man's questions. Xing Ying's eyes fell on Katara for a moment, who also looked surprised, before looking back at Aang, her heart jumping happily.

"I was able to cross into the Spirit World," she said, almost breathlessly. "With-" she looked behind her, making to gesture to the spirit that had helped her, only to find that Gotami had disappeared, having not followed her into the small clearing. "Oh, she must have gone."

Aang looked up sharply, his eyes widening just a fraction before, for some reason, he looked back to the large airbender that was with them.

"Wait, you're not ... _physically_ here are you?" Katara asked, but Xing Ying shook her head.

"No, my body is still back in the Fire Nation," she said. "Firelord Zuko is watching over me."

"Oh, that dreamboat Zuko again?" the large man said, laughing loudly. " _Smoochy smoochy_ ..."

"Will you quit it with that?" Katara admonished, slapping at him.

"Who is that?" Xing Ying repeated.

"Who? Oh, right," Aang said, still looking distracted. "Uh, Xing Ying, meet Avatar Sansetsu. Sunny, meet Xing Ying."

"I thought the airbenders were all dead," the man named Sansetsu said, pointing at the hint of blue visible under Xing Ying's hair, even as she raised a hand to cover it.

"I'm not an airbender," she said quickly, before "you're an Avatar? One of the past Avatar's?"

"Yeh," Aang said, before Sansetsu could reply. "Xing Ying, what are you doing here?" Then, almost comically, she saw his face pale, as he reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "No, spirits, what are you _doing_ here? You know Tonrar is in the Spirit World! Are you crazy?"

"I know," she said quickly, "but I had to! Do you know how long you've both been gone?"

Aang glanced back at Katara, who seemed to shrug weakly.

"Honestly? No," Aang replied. "Time doesn't really work the same way here."

"You've been gone for months," Xing Ying replied, trying not to feel disappointed when Aang let go of her shoulders and took a step back. "Things have got bad, Aang, really bad."

"Bad how?" Katara asked, her voice hushed.

"There was an electrical storm," she replied, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I'm not saying any of this to make you feel bad or pressured but ... some people died, a lot of people lost their homes, and Toph was badly hurt."

"How?" Katara gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. Aang said nothing, his arms falling to his side.

"A building fell on her," Xing Ying answered. "She's ok," she added quickly, seeing the horror on Katara's face, "Kanto saved her life."

"Kanto?" Aang seemed to manage. "Wait, isn't he the guy who helped kidnap Katara!"

"Yes, but it's ok he's on our side now," she said hurriedly, seeing the anger on his face. "That's actually sort of why I'm here. It's the Northern Water Tribe ... they're set for war, and they're almost at Fire Nation shores."

Aang looked away from her, his hand rising to his head as he walked across the clearing. Xing Ying watched him go, her eyes wide and worried. Sansetsu sighed heavily, before sitting on the ground, kicking his feet out in front of him and looking positively bored, whilst Katara stayed where she was, eying Aang carefully.

"How big is their army?" she finally asked, dragging Xing Ying's attention away from the irritably pacing Avatar.

"We don't know exactly, but if what Kanto has told us is right, we could be talking three thousand fighters. And best case scenario we have at most ten days to prepare for them."

To her surprise, Aang barked a dry laugh, his back still turned to them as he shook his head.

"Great," he said, throwing his hands in the air. "How's Zuko handling it?"

"As ... best he can," Xing Ying replied, her voice shaking a little as she began to wring her hands together again. "We've got a plan in place, we're bringing all of the civilians up into Caldera, and we're going to make it as hard as possible for Hanh's men to get there. But, we're hugely out-numbered, and those of us that can fight haven't even had a full meal in weeks. We need the Avatar."

Aang groaned, pressing his hands to his face. "I already kinda have my hands busy here right now," he said with a sigh, looking back at her. "And even if I could help you, we can't get back into that world, not without a portal."

"You can project yourself into the Spirit World from our world, can't you?" Xing Ying said hurriedly, almost as if she was worried she'd lose the nerve to speak if she didn't speak quickly. "Can you not do the same thing from here?"

Aang looked across at Sansetsu, who shrugged.

"Maybe," the large man said. "I mean, your past lives have contacted you over there, haven't they?"

"You could speak to Hanh," Xing Ying urged, "or Arnook. Maybe you can convince them that this war is a bad idea!"

"No." The group looked across to see Katara standing firm, shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry but that's a bad idea. Tonrar is here, this forest is full of spirits! Assuming that you can project your spirit into our world, you'll be leaving your body behind here, vulnerable, I don't know that I could fight them all off on my own."

"Katara's right," Aang said with a heavy sigh, looking back at Xing Ying. "I'm sorry, Xing Ying, I know why you had to come here and I am so proud of you for crossing into the Spirit World, but there's only so much that I can do right now. I am trying, I am doing everything I can to find Tonrar and repair the tear between our worlds, but this war between the North and the Fire Nation is something that you're going to have to face without me."

"But ..." Xing Ying swallowed, feeling positively terrified at the very prospect of that. "How? How are we supposed to manage without you?"

She saw the shame on his face, the minute yet undeniable flicker of resentment in his expression, before a loud groan from Sansetsu grabbed her attention.

"Oh, figure it out, won't you?" he said. Aang shot him a dark look, before turning back to Xing Ying.

"I know it's hard, but I also know that you can handle this," he said, flashing her an encouraging smile. "You've got Sokka with you, right?" Xing Ying nodded. "Then trust in his ideas, if anyone can work this out he can. And Toph? She could probably take on a thousand of them on her own, injuries or no." Xing Ying smiled weakly. "And as for Zuko? I need you to remind me of something for me."

"What?"

"That he was right in Yu Dao, and I was wrong," Aang replied simply. "I've complete faith in him."

"He's struggling," Xing Ying said quietly, "I know I don't know him, not really, but even I can see that he's growing tired. There's just so much going on, going _wrong_ ..."

"Don't I know it," Aang said, sincerely. She looked back at him, and she found she had so much that she wanted to ask him, so much that she needed to know, but she could sense the urgency of her situation, and theirs, and regretfully she swallowed her questions.

"I'll tell him," she said, with a heavy sigh. She then looked to Katara, who looked for all the world like the weight of everything was settled on her shoulders, her expression pained, and she felt a stab of sympathy. Katara was no less trapped than the rest of them.

"I'll tell Sokka that I saw you," she said, "your dad, too. They'll be glad to hear that you're ok."

Katara's eyes widened just a fraction, the light filtering through the trees reflecting the tears that suddenly threatened to fall, and she could only manage a nod. Xing Ying looked back at Aang for just a moment, allowing herself to memorise how he looked in that moment, almost as if to treasure it, before she let her hold on the Spirit World go, her body seeming to be drawn backwards at speed, until she opened her eyes once more with a gasp, the darkness of Aang's room a stark contrast to the highly saturated forests of the Spirit World.

Zuko was no longer sitting in front of her, but pacing the room, and he stopped short when he heard her, hurrying to her side.

"Are you ok?"

She shut her eyes tight, rubbing her temples tiredly. "I'm fine," she said heavily. "I found them, Aang and Katara."

"You did?" Zuko breathed, his tone excited. "Where are they? Are they ok?"

"They seem ok," Xing Ying replied, "they've a past Avatar with them, they're still searching for Tonrar, I think, but they look ok. Healthy."

Zuko breathed a sigh of relief, before allowing himself a small shake of the head. "I hoped that they would be much closer by now. He can't help, can he?"

She shook her head, before hesitantly reaching out and taking Zuko's hand, emboldened by Aang's confidence in her. "He said that he wanted you to remember something," she said softly, and Zuko looked at her with some surprise. "He said to remember that you were right in Yu Dao, and he was wrong. He said that he had faith in you."

Zuko nodded stiffly, squeezing her hand in response.


	22. The Spirit of Fortune

Mercifully, even Sansetsu had to good graces to stay quiet for the remainder of the day, giving Aang and Katara the space that they clearly needed after Xing Ying had arrived so suddenly in the Spirit World. He had questions, plenty of them, not least of all who the tattooed girl had been and what her relationship was with Aang, because from where he was standing it sure didn't look like a war was the only reason she had gone looking for him. On Aang and Katara's part, however, their hearts weighed heavy. Katara already struggled enough in the Spirit World, but her anxieties now were spinning almost out of control as she imagined time and time again Northern ships crashing into the harbor, Sokka and the others fighting against an army without her or Aang there to help them. As for Aang, the guilt he felt now was far too heavy for him to carry, his mind even now desperately trying to come up with solution; to find a way that he could go back there and help them all, to put an end to the war before it started, to stop Tonrar sooner rather than later. But they were still trudging through the forest, and though Sansetsu insisted that he knew where he was leading them, they had yet to find the spirit that he was leading them too.

Eventually the time came to stop, Aang and Katara unable to walk any further without the risk of Aang's leg giving way or Katara simply collapsing with the stress. Sansetsu quietly obliged, taking his place in one of the branches above them as he always did, keeping an eye. He had been strangely amicable since his conversation with Aang a few nights ago, and though Katara had not heard them she knew that things had been said. Aang certainly seemed much more comfortable around the past Avatar, despite the sudden teasing about Zuko of all people (she'd have to ask Aang about that), and that at least was encouragement enough for her.

Aang set about pulling the nuts and berries that they had gathered on their journey from make-shift bag that he had somehow been able to make out of the leaf litter, but he was just as subdued as Katara was, their eyes meeting at moments, unspoken questions being passed between them. From the trees Sansetsu watched them, biting his lip as if he were mulling something over.

"You kids have obviously got something you need to talk about," he announced, the pair looking up with him in some surprise. "I can scout ahead faster without you. I'll be back in an hour." And with that Sansetsu was gone, and Aang found himself feeling exceptionally grateful towards the past Avatar. He looked back at Katara, flashing her a small smile that faded from his lips as fast as it arose, she sitting on the ground and picking at the meager scraps of food they had to sustain them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Aang asked quietly, sitting beside her and watching her intently. She was silent for a moment, scraping her nail against one of the nuts half-heartedly, before she sighed.

"Yes, and no," she admitted. "I'm half grateful to hear about everyone, and half resentful, you know? It was hard enough getting through each day knowing what we had ahead of us, and now ..."

"I know," Aang said, reaching out and taking her hand. "Yeh, I know. I keep wondering if maybe there is something that I can do, some way that I can help, but we can't even leave this place without finding another portal, and even if I could project myself back into our world somehow, why would Hanh listen to me?"

"He won't," Katara said bitterly. "I doubt he'd even listen to Innua at this point, wherever she is."

Aang felt a dark cold dread in his stomach at the mention of her name. They had not spoken about Innua in months, if what Xing Ying had said was true, and it was a subject that both of them stepped around as quickly as possible. It was hard to even imagine what facing Tonrar would be like, without also considering that his half-spirit-full-mad daughter would be there with him also.

"We just have to trust in our friends," Katara said, her thumb rubbing the back of Aang's hand. "It sounds like dad's with them as well. He and Sokka will figure something out of no one else does. And Zuko literally fought for his place on the Throne, he won't back down without a fight."

"That's sort of what worries me," Aang muttered, "people are probably going to get hurt."

"Probably," Katara sighed, and Aang looked up surprised at her quick acceptance of this fact. "But you know they'll do everything without their power to hurt as few people as possible. And hey, Hanh's stupid enough to face the Firelord on his own, it could be over in a blink of an eye."

Aang rolled his eyes at this, before letting out a puff of air and leaning back onto his palms, looking about the forest around them. "Yeh, you're probably right."

Katara watched him for a moment, his morose expression as he blinked up at the darkening sky high above them, that faraway look in his eyes indicating that he was still very much preoccupied with thoughts of what could be going on in the Fire Nation, and she couldn't help but smile. In a sense, it was good to see him worrying about something without also losing his temper about it, and she wondered whether he was perhaps starting to finally starting to deal with his problems in a healthy manner again.

"I need to do another healing session," she announced, dragging his attention away from the treeline. He nodded, untying his sash and pulling his trousers down from over his hips. His wound was looking much better than it had ever done, at this stage. There was still a great ugly scar on both sides of his thigh, a scar that had only spread along with the infection, and she knew that it was take some water from the Oasis to make any impact on that, but it was finally healing and the risk of further infection low. She pulled water from her flask, setting to work, humming to herself as she did.

Each time she healed him she would tentatively reach out to his chi, unsure whether he was aware of it or not. Despite Aang's calmer disposition of late, it seemed that the dark knot in his chest, where his chi was pulled taught, tangled and stretched, was still there, almost as if it was waiting for something. She knew that she couldn't be lulled into a false sense of security, that it could take the smallest thing to set Aang off again, and she also knew that it meant that Aang was still nowhere near ready to face Tonrar. Truthfully, she hoped that Sansetsu would finally mention the matter again, but he had seemed to singularly focused on finding this fortune spirit that he had not even touched upon Aang's training ... what if Sansetsu was avoiding it just as Aang was?

"Katara?"

She started, looking up. There was a queer expression on Aang's face as he looked at her, concern marked with hurt, and she realised that whilst lost in thought her invasive probing into Aang's mental state had almost certainly been felt by him, and she blushed, pulling her hands away from him swiftly, the water dropping onto the leaf litter. For a moment, neither of them spoke, Aang pulling his trousers back up and retying his sash, whilst Katara adjusted her hip flask, trying to hide her red face, feeling little less than mortified.

"You-" Aang bit his lip, his voice sounding small. "You could just ask, you know?"

Katara blinked, looking back at him. His gaze was averted from hers now, miserably looking down at the leaf litter, and her shoulders dropped.

"Do you really not trust me?"

That surprised her, and she winced. "Aang, it's not ..." she stopped, realising how weak her voice sounded. "It's not that," she managed again, almost breathlessly. "I- you're right, I'm sorry. I should have just talked to you about it."

"Have you been doing that every time?" Aang asked. Her lower lip shook, blood rushing in her ears.

"Yes," she whispered. "I ... it worries me, Aang, so much. I kept hoping that the more healed your leg got the less-" she waved her hand in front of her, struggling to find the words. "The less darkness I'd feel," she finished weakly.

"And have you?"

She let out a small puff of air as he glanced back at her, unable to stop her expression from conveying how desperately she wished he had not asked that question, and he winced.

"It's going to take a lot more than some healing sessions to fix that," she said, realising now that honesty was the only thing left at this stage. "I'm sorry I didn't involve you in this, I was worried that you wouldn't be honest with me, and tell me what was really going on if I asked."

Aang just nodded, and her heart pounded as she saw him draw himself away from her, her arms crossing subconsciously over his chest as he settled against a tree trunk, hoping that they could drop the subject, and that he could retreat back into his thoughts. She felt a whimper rise in her throat, and quickly getting to her feet, her knees deliberately knocking against his as she crouched in front of him.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, it was wrong of me," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling them away from his chest, reminding her starkly of how she had had to do the same with Sansetsu not so long ago. It seemed that it wasn't only physically that airbenders ran, they were just as good at retreating into themselves as they were the skies. "I won't do it again, I promise. I trust you."

Mercifully, his eyes softened, and he nodded again, his hands tightening against hers for a moment, before his legs flattened and she felt herself drawn onto his lap. She gratefully crawled into the circle of his arms, resting her head against his chest.

"I didn't know that you could do that," he said, his voice humming through his chest, and she felt tense once again. "Well, I mean I knew you could feel people's chi and pathways when you healed them, but I didn't know you could ... get inside people like that."

She swallowed, and for a moment she found herself wondering if Aang had forgiven her at all, feeling for the briefest moment alarmed at his arms wrapped around her, but he seemed to sense her fear, because he loosened his grip, running a thumb across her arm gently, his cheek resting against the top of her head.

"I suppose it's part of the bloodbending," she said softly. "I ... I was so scared after Tonrar hurt you in the South Pole, I was convinced that you would just die there in front of me, and the only way I could stop myself believing you were gone was to map your chi. That was when I felt it the first time, the Avatar Spirit, or whatever it is inside you, and it scared me. At one point I wasn't sure if it would be you that woke up at all. I didn't even realise at the time that I was pushing further than I had ever done before inside of somebody, except when I was bloodbending."

"Do you think ..." Aang ventured, but stopped almost immediately, and she felt him shake his head.

"Do I think what?" she asked, pulling her head away from his chest and looking up at him. He bit his lip, looking uncomfortable.

"Do you think you could heal it?" he said at last. "My chi?" Her eyebrows rose with surprise.

"But, I thought you-"

"I know," he said quickly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask."

"No," Katara said, "that's not what I meant ... I mean, I don't know that I could, but I could try? If you felt comfortable with it?"

He nodded, his anxiety clear.

"Ok," she said softly, smiling kindly at him. "But I'd prefer to wait until Sansetsu is here, too, to keep watch."

He looked as though he was going to argue for a moment, but eventually nodded his agreement. He pulled her close again, resting his chin against the top of her head, and she allowed herself an easy breath.

"You know he's going to think it's a bad idea, right?" she said, allowing her tone to lighten.

"Almost certainly," he said, and she could almost feel his eyes rolling. "But let's be honest, he'd think any idea I had would be a bad one."

She laughed.

"Still, at least he's talking to us again," Aang hummed, and at that Katara sat up, looking at him.

"Yeh, and speaking of which, what's this sudden obsession with Zuko?"

Aang blushed, and grumbled something under his breath. She adjusted herself so she could look at his pointedly, an eyebrow raising.

"He was asking about our friends," Aang said, "and I just said that it was a good feeling when you were able to make Zuko smile. He took that in a singularly Sansetsu-like way."

"Oh, right," Katara said, unable to fight back her smirk. "That didn't sound at all, how would Sokka put it? _Oogie._ "

Aang glowered at her, and her smirk only widened, looking way too much like her brother in that moment for Aang to expect anything other than ridicule.

"The Avatar and the Firelord, sitting in a tree, _k-i-s-s-i_ "

But Aang swooped forward, tickling her on the ribs, causing her to squeal and swat at him, for a moment indifferent to how much noise they were probably making, Aang laughing heartily as she grabbed and handful of leaves and threw them in his face in an attempt to escape.

"I leave for five damn minutes."

The pair looked up to see Sansetsu standing in front of them, looking down at them with his upper lip curled, hands on his hips.

"Oh, hey Sansetsu," Katara said, taking advantage of Aang's distraction to shove a handful of leaves, bugs and all, down the front of his tunic, the Avatar yelping in a very un-Avatar-like fashion as he jumped up, trying to shake them free.

"What did you find?" Katara asked, still grinning evilly at Aang as he swat leaves and bugs from his stomach.

"You'll be pleased to know we're on the right track," the past Avatar said, eying Aang with some amusement. "Probably another day's walk for you guys yet, at the least."

"We should probably get some sleep now," Aang announced. "Get an early start tomorrow, maybe we can get there before night time."

"I'd advise against going to her at night," Sansetsu said, "the spirits always seem a little less... benevolent after night fall in my experience."

"Then we definitely need an early start."

True to is word, Aang woke just before day break the following day, Katara curled up beside him and snoring lightly. Despite how uncomfortable it was sleeping on the forest floor, Aang felt a certain peace here that he had not felt in the city. There were spirits everywhere, and it was alarming, but most of them were harmless, little creatures scurrying through the underbrush or leaping through the trees, and early morning here was almost beautiful. There was a cold mist that settled at ankle level, often leaving their skin dewy, but creating a gorgeous blanket at their feet as they walked, and birds and spirits seemed to sing above them, soft mournful notes interspersed with lively titters, and it was quite as beautiful as any morning chorus in their world. He sat up, looking around them and checking up to the tree that Sansetsu had settled in, the past Avatar resting against the bark of the tree, holding a small piece of wood in his hand that he was whittling away at with a knife. For a moment Aang wondered where he could have possibly found such an item, before he realised that it was the whaletooth dagger that Hakoda had given him before he had left, his hand reaching to the back waistband of his trousers as if to confirm.

"Where did you get that?" Aang asked, shrewdly, getting Sansetsu's attention.

"Oh this?" He held up the knife. "I nicked it from you, obviously."

Aang narrowed his eyes. "Why?" he asked, leadingly.

"I needed something to occupy my time with," Sansetsu replied, tipping the wooden shape in his hand in gesture.

Aang could have argued, told Sansetsu that it wasn't ok to just steal things from his pockets no less, but he knew that the past Avatar was fully aware of this, and that he likely couldn't care. So instead, he got to his feet, Katara still deep in sleep, before taking a jump and landing gracefully on the same branch that Sansetsu was reclining on. He almost didn't notice how easily he had managed this, his leg giving him next to know trouble, until he saw Sansetsu raise his eyebrows almost approvingly, his gaze falling on Aang's leg for a brief moment.

"What are you making?" Aang asked, instead, looking at the wooden carving in his hand. Curiously, Sansetsu blushed, almost making to hide it before Aang reached out and snatched it from his hand.

"It's ... a bunny," he said, unable to stop himself from grinning as he held it up in front of his face.

Sansetsu snatched it back, shoving it deep into the pocket of his robes before tossing the whaletooth knife down on the ground. The noise woke Katara, and she sat up with a tired looking frown on her face as Aang dropped down and picked up the knife from the ground, putting it back into his pocket.

"Morning, sweetie," he said.

"You're in a good mood," she said with a wide yawn, stretching her arms out into the air.

"I got a good feeling about today," he replied, smiling at her, "about seeing this spirit."

"Fuck knows why," Sansetsu growled from his place in the tree, "there ain't a single spirit in this place that you can actually trust."

"Perhaps we could try starting the day with a bit more of an upbeat attitude," Aang said, pointedly, picking up Katara's hip flask from where it lay beside her and taking a drink. "We've got a long walk ahead of us, after all." He flashed a smile at Katara again as he handed her the flask, before disappearing off a toilet break. Katara and Sansetsu looked over at each other, eyebrows raised and skeptical.

Within ten minutes, the small group set off through the forest once more, Sansetsu walked ahead of them as usual. Katara, mercifully, was starting to feel the effects of the spirit world less, which made the going a little easier for all of them, even with Aang still needing the help of a stick at times. The longer they walked, the more Aang began to realise that they were actually climbing uphill, watching the mist grow thinner about his feet, feeling the temperature drop only further until he noticed Katara starting to shiver slightly at points. They were poorly equipped for bad weather, he realised, having walked for so long in the heat of the desert and the suffocating humidity of the forest. He himself had no sleeves, and whilst Katara's dress and leggings offered a little more cover, it still wasn't much. He pushed the worrying thought from his mind as best he could, however, instead trying to focus on their destination.

Eventually they had needed to take a short break, the incline of the hill starting to have a greater impact over them than they realised, stopping for a drink and something to eat before pushing forward again. Aang's good mood, though still somewhat alarming for both Sansetsu and Katara, kept them going though Aang himself was starting to feel more and more nervous with each step. He still wasn't sure, strictly, what Sansetsu hoped the spirit would tell him and he couldn't shift the thought that the past Avatar was only suggesting this because he was out of ideas himself.

In time, the incline began to even off, and Aang felt a drastic shift in the energy of the forest around them, looking across to Katara to see if she, too, noticed any difference. She seemed indifferent, however, and he was left to rub his forearms, brow furrowed as they walked. He wondered if it was just his Avatar Spirit that could detect the subtle but definite change in energy, the sound of wildlife and spirits seeming to dim, the trees growing closer together, that was until Katara stopped dead, staring at something to her right, her eyes wide.

"What is it?" he asked immediately, hopping to her side. Sansetsu stopped, looking back at them as Katara shook her head, almost as if trying to shake something free.

"Nothing," she said, "I just ... I could have sworn I saw somebody out there."

"A spirit?" Aang hissed, squinting as he looked into the thick treeline.

"Whatever it is, it's gone now," Sansetsu called. "Come on, we can hang around here too long. Let's go."

On high alert, they followed him, Aang sticking close to Katara's side as they walked, keeping an eye on the forest around them, now with the distinct sensation that they were not alone, and that something seemed to be walking along with them, shadows like figures seeming to swim far off in the distance, vanishing even as he focused on them.

Soon they were drawn to a halt, Sansetsu holding out his arm, his expression serious.

"We're here," he said, in a low voice. Aang, keeping Katara a step behind him, stood at his side.

"Where is she? I don't see her."

"You won't," Sansetsu muttered, "not until she wants you to. But she's here."

They stood in silence, Aang and Katara looking around them for signs of a spirit walking out of the woods towards them, but they saw nothing, the forest having grown deathly silent.

"Maybe you should say something," Katara hissed into Aang's ear.

"What do I say?"

"I don't know, you're the Avatar."

Aang glanced at Sansetsu, who simply shrugged, and pulling a face Aang stood himself tall feeling both apprehensive and foolish all at the same time.

"Spirit of Fortune," he said, his voice loud and clear, "are you here? We need to speak with you."

For a long moment, nothing happened, Aang starting to feel frustrated at Sansetsu for bringing them here, and doubtful that there was any spirit to meet with, before Katara gasped, grabbing his arm hard. He swung on the spot, seeing a singularly disturbing sight, a large blue eye in the darkness blinking slowly back at them.

"And who are you that disturbs me in this way?" a feminine voice asked, a sound that seemed to come not from any single point, but all around them, humming through the trees and beneath their feet.

Aang glanced down at Katara, who nodded stiffly, before he took a deep breath.

"My name is Aang," he said, "I'm the Avatar."

The voice hummed, the note vibrating through them, making his teeth itch.

"It's been a very long time since the Avatar came to visit," she said. Aang looked at Sansetsu, but he shook his head.

"Not me," he whispered to him.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Spirit of Fortune," Aang said, "but I need your help. Tonrar has taken control of the spirit, Koh, and without Koh's help I cannot fix a tear between our two worlds."

To his shock, another eye appeared in the darkness, this one grey, blinked back at him.

"I'm not sure what help I can offer you, Avatar," the spirit said. "I do not involve myself with matters of your mortal realm, and what the other spirits choose to do is no business of mine."

Aang frowned. It sounded far too familiar with any number of conversations he had had with spirits in the past, and he frankly was growing tired of having to prove his point, argue his case, with spirits that continued to ignore the plight of his kind.

"I was told that you could help me to see glimpses of the future," he said, "that maybe I could find a way to fight Tonrar."

"I do not show people their future," the voice replied, "I show them the possibilities of time. The future, yes, but also the past, and the present." More eyes appeared now, hundreds of them in the darkness, surrounding them on all sides, blinking slowly and purposefully. It was almost as though they stood inside of the spirit herself, with her many eyes gazing in on them, and he had to hold back a shiver of discomfort.

"I understand that," he said, looking up at all the eyes staring down at them. "But without control over the Avatar State, I do not know how I can face Tonrar, and stop him. I-" he stopped, and in a flash his nightmares seemed to come back to him, the images that he saw night after night, his collapsing at Koh's feet, Tonrar's laughs, the body of Katara lying lifeless, and he took a sharp intake of breath. "I need to make sense of this," he said, his voice a little stronger. "I need to try and make sense of the things that I see in my nightmares."

Sansetsu glanced across at him with a light frown.

"What you see when you cross the threshold does not depend on me," the spirit replied, her eyes blinking in unison, "but on you. I cannot promise you that you will find the answer you seek. Many have gone mad, undone by their visions."

"I can't turn back now," he said.

"You cannot turn back at all," the spirit said in a quiet voice. "You passed the threshold already, and the only way out is through. Good luck to you, Avatar Aang."

And then, the eyes shut tight and disappeared, leaving the three of them standing in the dark, only a soft glow from the sky above lighting their way.

"That's just a little bit spooky," Katara whispered, hardly daring to raise her voice as Aang reached down to grab her hand.

"Yeh, no shit," Sansetsu hissed back, looking around with clear distrust in his eyes. "Guess we just keep walking, huh?"

"This was your idea," Aang muttered. He squeezed Katara's hand, and she gripped his back, nodding up at him before they started to walk deeper into the darkness, eyes peeled and alert for anything around them. Aang had hardly taken five steps before he felt the warmth of Katara's hand fade, and he looked down, realising with a jolt to the heart that she was no longer there. He swung on the spot, finding himself standing alone in the forest, neither Katara nor Sansetsu in view, and the panic set in.


	23. Inside the Spirit: Katara and Sansetsu

**Katara**

Katara stood still, her eyes closed, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. They had hardly taken five steps before she had found herself standing, quite suddenly, all alone in the forest, both Aang and Sansetsu nowhere in view, and after yelling Aang's name several times, feeling more panicked with each scream, sense soon settled in and she had stopped. This was obviously part of the spirits power ... they were to travel through their past, present, and future, right? It stood to reason that they would all need to do that alone. And so she had shut her eyes, her fingers reaching out to gently touch the bark of the nearest tree, counting to ten as she breathed, centering herself. It would not do her well to fall apart here.

Feeling her pulse start to even, she finally opened her eyes, allowing herself to take in the space around her. It looked just like the rest of the forest, only far darker, the shadows seeming to press in on her, accentuating her feeling of loneliness. It was colder, she realised, far colder than it seemed to have been back when they had first started walking through the forest, and she wrapped her arms around herself, swallowing the lump in her throat. After a long moment of trepidation, she started to walk, at first concerned that she was not walking in the same direction as the others, yet also certain that somehow it wouldn't make a difference.

For a long while she saw nothing, heard nothing, just the sound of the wind rustling gently through the trees and her own footfalls in the leaf litter. Almost a frost had settled at her feet, making a sharp crackling noise with each step that would echo around her, until she became sure that she could hear something else beyond that. She stopped, her breath leaving clouds of fog in her vision, her heart beating loud in her ears, now certain that she could hear the sound of small sobs. She swung, before seeing an orange figure in the distance, almost entirely hidden by the trees.

"Aang?"

She ran forward, the orange figure becoming more clear, and she realised that she was instead looking at a child of about three, crouching down with his little legs pulled up against him, crying into his knees.

"Hey," she said softly, kneeling down and placing a hand softly on the boys shoulder. He had a short fuzz of dark brown curls on his head, dressed in clothes remarkably similar to the ones that Aang had been wearing the first time that she had met him in the South Pole. "Are you ok?"

The child continued to sob, muttering incoherently between each wail.

"You know, I can't hear you if you talk into your knees," she said softly, a small smile tugging her lips. Past, present, and future, she thought, perhaps this was a young Aang, perhaps they were all in here together after all. The little boy sniffed loudly, looking up with miserable eyes, and she took a sharp intake of breath. Not Aang, no, but somebody else, with large blue eyes.

"I-I-I-" the child started, his lower lip wobbling dramatically, and she reached out, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"It's ok, you can tell me," she said, giving the child an encouraging smile. The child wiped his snotty nose on the back of his orange sleeve.

"I-it's my b-b-brother," he said, in small voice, "h-h-he's being m-m-m-mean-" but he started to wail again, and Katara hovered hesitantly. There was something familiar about the child, though she was certain that she had never met him before. There were no Acolytes this young, and certainly no one else who would be wearing Air Nomad training garb. She swallowed, reaching out to stroke the boys hair as he cried.

"It's ok, sweetie," she said kindly, "where's your brother?"

"I-I don't ... I don't _care_!" the child announced dramatically. "I hate him!"

"Well, I don't think that's true," she said. "Is he your big brother, or your little brother?"

"B-big," the child replied.

"Hey, you want to hear a secret?"

The boy looked up, his piercing blue eyes seeming to stab her in the heart for a moment, but she pushed through the sensation now that she had his attention.

"I didn't like my big brother very much either."

"Y-you didn't?"

"Nope," she continued, her hand still on his cheek. "He was mean to me all the time when we were kids. He used to steal my toys, and call me names, and when my mum and dad weren't looking he would take my food too."

"Big brothers stink," the boy said fiercely, and she laughed.

"They do, but you wanna know something else?"

"What?"

"One day, I fell over and hurt my knee, and my big brother picked me up and carried me all the way home. Another time, after a big storm, I was cold and scared and my big brother slept in my bed with me to keep me safe. Has your big brother ever done anything like that for you?"

The boy fell silent, his face scrunched up as if he was thinking. "He lets me play with his swords sometimes," he said. "A-and he gives me piggy back rides. Sometimes."

Katara smiled. "See? Big brothers stink, and they can be mean, but they also look out for us. I'm sure your big brother loves you very much, too."

The boy looked up at her with large watery eyes, before nodding slowly, wiping her face on his sleeve once more. She raised her hand, swiftly bending the tears and snot away, and he gasped.

"You can bend, too!" he said, excitedly. "My mum, and dad, and big sister are all benders. My big brother can't bend, though."

A curious sensation filled her chest at these words, and she took a moment to look closer at the little boy's face. His eyes were a bright blue, but their shape seemed familiar.

"Where are you mum and dad now?" she asked, and the little boy looked around, frowning.

"I don't know," he said. "Dad's probably at work, though." His eyes lit up and he looked up at her, grinning in his excitement, and suddenly Katara was left with little doubt. It was a grin she had seen so many times. "My dad's the Avatar! He has a big bison that we get to fly on! His name is Appa, dad says I can have my own bison some day."

Her heart beat fast, and her hands shook minutely as she looked down at the little boy, _her son_ , and it was all she could do not to start crying herself. She smiled at him, her hands caressing his soft cheek and curly mop of hair. She wanted to pull the boy into a hug, to just hold him, ask him all about his life and his siblings, but just as she went to, she stopped. _Many have gone mad, undone by their visions_. She stood suddenly, holding out her hand for the boy. She could not allow herself to become trapped here. This was a possible future, wasn't it? Not her only future. It may be a future that never comes to pass, but as she looked down at the little boy that looked so very much like Aang, she found herself hoping that it would be.

"Shall we go find your brother?" she asked, and the little boy nodded, taking her hand, following her through the forest.

She and the little boy walked, allowing herself to enjoy the warmth of his hand as they went, but still trying to keep herself grounded. She had been tempted to ask his name, but somehow she knew that that was just one more step into the pit that could consume her. The boy was not really here, she knew that, and she wondered what else the Spirit could create here ... could she create her entire family? Could she become lost in a possible future until she wasn't sure what was real any more? She was left in no doubt that this was how others had become trapped before her. She could help the little boy, but that was all.

"Hey, it's uncle Sokka!" she stopped, swinging around to see where the little boy was pointing. Sure enough she could see blue resting against the tree, Sokka's back to her, and her stomach lurched.

"Looks like he's taking a nap," the little boy said, before starting to drag her forward. She felt nothing but dread as she found herself being led to the tree, her voice stuck in her throat as she tried to tell the boy to stop, to pull him back and stop him from seeing what he was about to see, but she hadn't the strength. She couldn't stop her body, stepping around the tree, and looking down to see Sokka leaning back.

His eyes were shut, his head hanging slack against his chest, upon which a large red stain spread, blood gently dripping down into his lap. She stepped back, unable to stop the cry from coming to her throat. The little boy looked up at her curiously.

"What's wrong?"

Her wide, terrified eyes looked down at the little boy, standing so indifferently beside the body of her brother, and she shook her head.

"What future is this?" she whimpered at the boy, who looked back, politely puzzled. She stalked forward, dropping to her knees and grabbing him around the shoulders, shaking him.

"Spirit, what future is this?" she yelled, but the boy only looked back at her with frightened eyes, trying to squirm free.

"Mumma, you're scaring me!"

She let go as if she had been burned, pulling her hands close to her chest, tears falling freely down her cheeks as the little boy then turned tail and ran from her, his orange figure disappearing into the darkness.

"No! No wait!" she got to her feet, racing after him, stumbling against the dark trunks. "Please, come back!"

But the boy was gone, and she found herself alone again, whimpering as she fell to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"It's not real," she said to herself, rocking gently. "It's not real, none of this is real, it's not real ..."

"Who are you?"

She gasped, looking up, and for a moment she almost cried out with joy, the boy stood before her again, before she realised that it wasn't the same child. His head was bald, he was older, about twelve, and she recognised him instantly, his expression both curious and guarded as he looked down at her.

"Aang?" she breathed.

"How do you know my name?" the boy asked. She swallowed, noticing that the younger Aang looked far skinnier than he had been when they had first met, dressed in tattered Earth Kingdom clothes.

"Is this really you?" she whimpered, her hands still drawn tight to her chest, almost terrified of getting any closer. "Or another vision?"

"That's a strange question." He looked down at her, his expression torn. "Sister Iio said we shouldn't talk to strangers, you could be Fire Nation."

"F-Fire Nation?"

"You look like a waterbender, though," he continued, still looking doubtful. "A- are you on the run from the Fire Nation too?"

She swallowed, her brain working over time to make sense of what was going on. Past, present, and future. It was all possibilities ... was this an Aang of the past where he had not left the Temple?

"Yes," she breathed finally. "I am. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the young Aang said sadly. "I'm sure it would be ok if you came back with us."

"H-how many of you are there?" Young Aang's face paled, and he looked away from her.

"Five," he said, his voice so quiet that she almost couldn't hear it. "They found us hiding last night, we're the only ones that got away."

"No," she said suddenly, climbing to her feet, her hands resting on the tree behind her to support herself. "No, this isn't what happened." She looked up at the treeline. "Why would you show me this? This isn't what happened!"

"What didn't happen?" came another voice, this one deeper, and tipped with amusement. "What are you talking about?"

She swung around, and she saw another version of Aang, this one older, taller. His smile was gentle, creating little creases in the corner of his eyes. He reached out, unfamiliar calloused fingers touching the bare skin of her arms before she drew back, almost falling to the ground as she did so.

"Katara! Are you ok?"

"Don't," she hissed, "you're not real, either." But the hurt look on his face looked real, and he took another step forward, his hand reaching out and cupping her cheek, looking into her eyes, fear and concern evident.

"Sweetie, you don't look so great ..."

She swallowed, as his thumb brushed down her cheek, his other hand reaching out and gently sliding around the back of her neck, fingers knotting in her hair, unabashedly rotating her face slightly, as if trying to get a better look at her eyes.

"You should probably lie down," he said, decisively. "You look a little pale, perhaps you're coming down with something."

"I- I'm fine," she managed, her heart hammering as he let go of her face, hands sliding down to her bare arms again, fingers swirling at her elbows in a manner that made her face warm quite suddenly at his confidence.

"You can't fool me," he said, with a light laugh. "Don't forget, I know you better than anyone."

She wanted to melt at the tone of his voice, his grey eyes, older and somehow wiser, looking into hers with an intense heat, his fingers still dragging themselves up and down her forearms before dropping to her hips, finger tips gripping her ever so lightly, and she let out a small whimper. This Aang knew her, intimately so, the knowing smile on his lips left her in no doubt of that fact. She wondered, for a moment, if this Aang had children yet, he looked old enough, and didn't seem plagued with the same problems that the Aang of he present was. She felt herself leaning forwards, her eyes starting to focus on his lips, before she shook herself, stepping out of his grip.

"Shit," she said forcibly, pressing her hands against her eyes, before turning on her heel and leaving that version of Aang behind, pushing her way through the forest once more, starting to feel real panic yet again. How was she supposed to get out of this place? Was there even a way out? Was she trapped here?

 _The only way out is through_. She growled, determining to keep walking, away from the many versions of her life that stood waiting behind her. As she walked she saw more and more things, people from her past, her present, and her future, reaching out to her and she went. At one point her mother had called to her, her voice beautiful and bright, the smile on her face as painfully welcoming as she remembered it to be, and tears had instantly fell down her cheeks, whimpering for her mother before she pushed on. But then, the world around her began to change, a red mist seeming to fill the air, and she stopped dead once more. She knew what this was, she had seen it before. The trees around her began to slowly break down, red mist floating from them and away from her, gathering speed. She felt the wind pick up, her hair blowing into her face and her dress whipping around her legs. She knew what this was, and she was full of fear. Was this real? Was this a possible future? If Aang was here, in the Spirit of Fortune's forest, then he was going to be seeing things just as painful as she had, and he didn't have control over himself. Who was to say that he hadn't gone into the Avatar State, and what was happening was very real indeed. She began to run in the direction the mist and wind were blowing, her breath coming out in short hard gasps.

She saw Aang, his arms out-stretched, his tattoo's glowing, fire and wind licking at his heels. But something was different this time, his eyes were still his own, steely grey and looking out in agony, his body convulsing slightly as he tried to fight against what was happened to him, a cry of pain coming from his lips as his back arched, the fire at his legs burning brighter.

"Aang!"

She ran towards him, but her way was blocked, a spirit suddenly standing before her. For a moment she wasn't sure who she was looking at, until she recognised the face, the cruel smile, and the cerulean eyes. But Innua looked different now, much different. Her previously flawless dark skin looked dry and painful, her left arm blistered and hanging limp at her side. Her other hand was held before her, and she noticed her nails had grown into long dark talons, clenched at her face.

"Not another step, little kitty," she hissed, and Katara backed away.

"Innua ..." she breathed, taking in her appearance. "What happened to you?"

"I am fulfilling my destiny!" Innua said, her voice high and proud, the ecstasy in her eyes making her look only madder. But another scream came, and Katara looked back to see Aang, eyes shut tight and bent double as he fought against the pain, his fingertips still spread, everything around him starting to dissolve to red.

"No," Katara yelled, her chest starting to fill with a rage of it's own, "no, this is not how it's going to happen!"

And then the scene in front of her changed, Innua vanished, Aang collapsed on the ground, his hands dropping to his side as his tattoo stopped glowing, and she rushed forward, falling to her knees at his side, cupping his cheek and grabbing his shoulders, desperate for her to look at him.

"Aang," she breathed, "Aang, sweetie, is that you? Is it really you this time?"

"The portal requires sacrifice."

She looked up, a cold cool voice grabbing her attention as she looked over her shoulder, gaping in fear and wonder at the creature that stood behind them, a creature that she had seen only once before.

"What?" she asked, her voice shaking as Koh twisted his head to the side, his long talons clicking on the leaf litter below. He looked as she remembered, a dark scar on his underbelly from where she had struck him all those months ago, only this time he had no face, instead only a deep darkness where it should have been, his voice coming from deep within.

"The portal requires sacrifice," he repeated in his cold voice. "To close it, just as to open it, requires energy. Energy that can only be gained from the sacrifice of twelve spirits or ... a single human soul."

She felt sick, looking down at Aang once more as he lay there, his body shaking violently, the pain in his body so great that he could hardly raise his head to look at her.

"I- I'll ... do it," he managed, and she gripped him hard, this time pulling his face up to hers roughly, looking at his grey eyes. She was frightened to see the defeat there, the pain and the exhaustion, so great that it seemed as though he was almost begging for her to let him go.

"No," she said, shaking her head as the tears fell. "No, that can't happen. No, I won't allow it."

"K-Katara," he said, his voice week. "Please, I have to do this. It is all my fault. Let me do this."

"You'll die!" she screamed. "You can't do that! You can't do that to me!"

"If he dies," came Koh's voice, "another Avatar will be born. His sacrifice makes sense. It is the best option."

"What the fuck do you know?" she yelled at the spirit, her eyes blazing. "You're cold! You never cared about anyone, never loved anyone, you're a monster! You don't get to tell me what's best, and what isn't!"

"Katara ..." she felt his Aang's hand on her cheek, pulling her back him. "There is no other way. There's no one here but us. I have to be the one to do this."

"No, you don't," she said, stepping away from him, her body shaking. "I can do it. I'll do it." She turned to face Koh, her arms spread, just as Aang choked out, his hand reaching to her.

"No! Katara, you can't! Koh, don't, don't you dare-"

But it was too late, Koh pulled back a large talon, before thrusting it directly at her heart, Aang's screams filling her ears as she felt the pressure on her chest. She felt no pain, however, as her eyes shut, falling backwards. She seemed to fall for a lifetime, wind rushing past her, kissing her skin, and she suddenly felt only peace.

She felt a gentle heat on her face and, with a gasp, she opened her eyes, sitting up as one hand gripped the grass beneath her, the other reaching up to her chest. For a moment she sat there in a daze, still feeling the pressure at her chest, yet no wound where Koh had stabbed her. She felt dampness on her cheeks and, with a shaking hand she reached up to feel the tears that lay there, before allowing herself to focus on the world around her. She seemed to be sat on a bright, sunny cliff edge, the sky periwinkle blue, a breeze smelling of sweet flowers reaching her, and she gratefully buried both hands into the grass.

"You're out."

She looked around, and saw Sansetsu standing to the side of her, his arms crossed as he looked down at her.

"Am I?" she whispered. "Are you sure?"

Sansetsu held out his hand, gesturing behind them, and she looked back to see the edge of a great, dark forest. She got to her feet, feeling unsteady, Sansetsu reaching out to support her as her head swam.

"T-thank you," she managed, before looking back up at him. "Was any of it real?" she asked, achingly. "Any of it?"

"I suppose that depends on what your definition of real is," Sansetsu replied, his own expression pained.

"Aang?" she asked, hands gripping Sansetsu's forearms tight. "Where is he? Is he out yet?"

Sansetsu shook his head, looking back to the forest. "No. I've been out here for the better part of an hour waiting for you. It may be even longer yet before Aang comes out. If he comes out," he added.

"Do we go after him?" she asked.

"No, you won't find him even if you did. We just have to be patient."

"Right," she breathed, feeling steady enough to let go of the past Avatar. Her thoughts raced, and subconsciously she raised a hand to her chest again, pressing her palm flat against her heart, feeling queasy. Sansetsu noticed this, and for a moment he seemed to fight against his better judgement to ask, before giving in.

"Are you ok? Have a heart attack or something?"

"What? No ... no," she replied, shaking her head, pulling her hand sharply away from her chest, before sitting back down on the grass again. It felt safer than standing.

"Did you see anything?" she asked, looking up at him. "Were you in there too?"

Sansetsu stood silently, still looking back into the forest, a mixture of pain and grief on his face that he seemed unable to mask, and she knew the answer to that. She looked away, allowing Sansetsu his privacy, and not daring to ask again.

 **Sansetsu**

When Sansetsu realised that he stood alone in the forest, looking to his right to see that Aang and Katara seemed to have vanished into the thin air, he could only let out a growl of frustration.

"Oh for fuck sake."

He looked around him, arms held wide, scowling.

"Oi, Spirit of Fortune, I'm already fucking dead. Maybe give me a pass on this, won't you?"

But no response came, and his arms fell to his side with a sharp slap, grinding his teeth together as he shut his eyes, trying to calm his nerves. He needed to get out of here before pipsqueak and his girlfriend, or the pair of them would likely panic.

"Ok, I'll play your games," he announced to the forest. "Let's get this over with, shall we? I'm real curious to know what possible futures you can show me given, as I've already made perfectly clear, I am dead. _D-e-a-d_ dead." The forest didn't respond, and he started to walk.

For the longest time, he saw nothing, walking through the cold dark forest, the sound of leaves crunching beneath his feet his only companionship.

"Perhaps you've got nothing to show me?" he wondered aloud. "Bit stumped as to what to do with a past Avatar, are we? I mean, come on, I've seen some shit, there's plenty you can try and haunt me with."

As if on queue, he round the corner and saw, to his distinct displeasure yet no surprise, the heads of Chun Chun and Kade atop two tall sticks, dark blood oozing down onto the leaves. Despite expecting it, he still felt the jolt to his stomach, stopping dead for a moment, before glaring up at the treeline.

"Oh, would you look at that! My two dead friends! I hadn't expected that!" He spat on the ground, before turning away and stalking back across the forest. He saw more things now as he walked ... the bodies of airbenders on the ground, even the great shaggy body of his bison, Bug Breath, his blood creating an oozing red lake on the ground that Sanestu had had to jump over, but as much as each sight still hurt him, he did not stop, not giving the spirit the pleasure of seeing his pain. It was pointless, he realised, the spirit wasn't showing him anything other than what had already happened, and he saw those images clear as day every time he shut his eyes. He was already haunted by his past, by the people he led to their death, there was nothing more the spirit could do to him.

Almost as if reading his mind, the forest changed, a subtle scent of grass filling his nostrils for a moment before he found himself stopping.

"Sunny?"

He shut his eyes tight.

"Fuck off, Kade, I know you're not really there."

"For once in your life can you just try not to be the world's biggest asshole?"

He looked around, and Kade stood there, his storm grey eyes fixed on his own as his nose creased slightly in his frustration at him. Sunny swallowed, his breath catching in his lungs, taking in the glorious sight before him. He just looked so alive ... his eyes reflected the low dim glow from the light high above, his cheeks flushed a dull pink, his lower lip puckering out as he tried to fight back another angry retort, no doubt to tell Sunny again how much of an asshole he was, and it was all he could do to stop himself laughing.

"Please, you're the asshole," he said, achingly. "You went and died on me, remember?"

Kade raised a single eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh ..." Sunny swallowed. "Right. This is the version of you that didn't go to the Earth Kingdom, isn't it?"

"Are you sure you haven't hit your head or something?" Kade asked, looking concerned. "You asked me not to go, so I didn't."

Sunny laughed, but his heart shattered in his chest. "You never listen to me. I should have realised that when I asked."

"You're the one that doesn't listen, Sunny."

Sansetsu shut his eyes, allowing the warmth of Kade's voice as he said his name wash over him for a moment, allowing himself briefly to feel the relief that came with it.

"You know ... you still haven't said anything to me," said Kade, his voice small all of a sudden. "After we ... you know ..."

He looked up. "I didn't?" He sighed. "Sounds like something I'd do."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry, I suppose."

"You suppose? Spirits, Sunny, I don't know why I keep trying. Just forget it, alright?" Kade turned his back to leave, and Sunny felt a flash of panic, reaching out to grab his wrist, to stop him from leaving.

"No, wait," he said. "I'm sorry. Please, don't go."

Kade looked back at him cautiously, glancing down at Sunny's grip on his wrist, before turning back to him, his posture still guarded. Sunny found that he couldn't let go of his hand, the warmth was just too real. He could smell him, even, freshly cut grass and honeysuckles, just like the Temple.

"I should have listened to you," he said. "I should have listened to you so many times, but I just ... I couldn't shut off, do you understand? I just couldn't let any of it go. Fuck, even now I don't listen. And I don't know how to let anybody in, not properly."

Kade sighed, nodding his agreement, as he took a step closer to him.

"I should never have gone to the Ba Sing Se that day," he continued, feeling his eyes start to sting with tears. "I should have listened to you then. Fuck, no I should have listened to you even before that, when you told me to leave the Avatar State alone."

Tears fell freely down his cheeks then, Kade looking at him in alarm.

"I'm sorry, Kade," he wept, his walls crashing down. "I'm so fucking sorry."

He felt Kade pull him towards him, and gratefully he wrapped his arms around him, his shoulders shaking as he allowed himself to cry freely for the first time, howling his grief as Kade whispered comfort to him. Eventually his tears passed, his face scrunched up against Kade's wet shoulder, his body feeling strangely light and empty as he pulled away. Kade smiled up at him.

"Feel better?"

"That's one word for it," Sunny grumbled, rubbing the tears from one of his cheeks. He was surprised to feel Kade reach up and wipe the tears from the other, and it was like he lost all his resolve, reaching down and pressing his lips against Kade's, his hands gripping his robes. Kade kissed him back, his lips parting, hands pressing against his chest, and he found himself lost in the sensations of it. Kade's warm breath against his face, and his body suddenly pressed flush against his, Sunny allowing his hands to fall from their place on Kade's shoulders and down to his lower back and hips, the passion and need in his heart poured into his kiss.

"I love you, Sunny," Kade breathed, pulling his lips away as Sunny lowered his into the crook of his head, and he whimpered, scrunching his face up against the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill.

"I know," he said, "I knew." He pressed hot kisses against Kade's neck, gasping as Kade's hands slipped under the front of his robes, caressing his chest. He had never made love to anyone that he had cared about, that he loved, and that thought alone seemed to drive him as he melted into Kade's embrace, one of his hands reaching up to cup his cheek and gently tilt his head back as he kissed across this throat. _But it's not real_ , came another thought, invasive, insistent. _It's not real, and you know it. You could be making out with a tree right now._

He pulled away, his entire body and being aching and longing, tears falling freely down his cheeks again as he looked back at Kade, and at the past that they had never had, and that they never could have. Kade looked confused for a moment, before his expression softened, and he smiled.

"I know," he said. "I forgive you."

He turned on his heel, running from the version of Kade that had never been, angrily wiping the tears from his face.

"What, is that supposed to help me?" he all but yelled up at the sky, finally skidding to a halt. "To apologise? To be forgiven by somebody that doesn't even exist any more!"

"It's probably not the sort of forgiveness you're looking for."

He swung round, this time looking at a man that initially he didn't recognise. But then he noticed the scar on the cheek, grey eyes that infuriated him, and he realised that he was looking at Aang, only older, much older. His face was lined, beard flecked with grey, yet his eyes were soft, calm.

"Right," Sansetsu breathed. "Ok. So, you're the pipsqueak that exists if I help him, right? I'm supposed to feel better because you get to grow old and I never could."

"I've a lot to thank you for, Sunny," Aang said, his voice serene, steady. He seemed somehow stronger despite his old age, his body held high, his voice unwavering, his eyes sparkling with wisdom that he still lacked at his current age. "None of that absolves you of your sins of the past," he continued, "the only one who can forgive you for that, is yourself. But, you never will."

Sunny frowned.

"You'll never let yourself move on from what happened. You think that your death is somehow the end of it, that there can be no growth afterwards. But you're wrong."

"What do you know about it, pipsqueak?" Sunny all but snarled.

"I'll die," he said honestly. "My time in my world will end soon, but that doesn't mean that my impact on the world will end too. I'll leave my family behind ... my daughter will continue to change the world with her kindness, my eldest son will help to keep the world safe, my youngest son will one day bring more airbenders into the world, and my wife will train the next Avatar. My impression on the world is not gone, and I'll continue to grow from that."

"Right, and what have I left behind?" Sunny asked, swallowing hard. "What great legacy have I left?"

"Me," Aang replied simply. "I only survive this with your help."

And then, Aang was gone, leaving Sansetsu standing alone once more. He realised that his hands were still shaking, and he rose them to his face, rubbing it roughly.

"So much for this place not getting to me," he grumbled, before lowering his hands to peer out at the forest over the top of his fingertips. "Good work." With a sigh he let his hands drop. "I get it, alright? I'm not about to forgive and forget all that I've done, and there's no one alive now that can forgive or forget on behalf of those that I hurt. But I can still do something, and I am trying. I led him here, didn't I?"

The forest stayed silent, and he snorted angrily.

"I have no idea what else you want from me!" he yelled. "But I can't help him in here, can I? Just let me go!"

Then, a flash of light hit him, and he raised his hands against it, squinting against the bright sunlight filtering through the treeline, the sweet scent of fresh air reaching him. For a moment he just stood there, not daring to believe that what he was seeing was real, before his feet started to work again and he walked in a daze, seeing the bright blue skies ahead of him, gulping in air with relief as his feet touch soft grass.


	24. Inside the Spirit: Aang

**Aang**

It took Aang a little longer to calm down after he found himself standing alone in the forest, calling Katara's name, panicked and unable to think straight. He couldn't have lost her here, not in this forest, not in the Spirit World. How was she supposed to defend herself if a spirit found her? How would she know how to get out? What if Tonrar found her before he did? He jumped onto the branches of the nearest tree, climbing to the very top, precariously balanced on the uppermost branches, popping his head out over the canopy in the hopes that he would spot something, but even in doing that he saw only more forest. Miles and miles of it, with no end in sight. He took a deep breath, using his airbending to project his voice as far as he could, calling her name. But nothing happened, no birds even took flight, no sign of life for miles around. Still panicking he dropped back down to the ground gracefully, pacing around the base of the tree as he tried to calm himself, to think clearly.

"Ok, calm down calm down," he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. "Think it through."

He stopped, looking down at his feet for a moment before taking a firm step forward, his fists drawing up to his chest as he tried to bend the earth beneath him. He found it almost comforting, however, when the ground didn't shift. He knew he had airbent, and he quickly summoned a flame to his hand to confirm, before taking a deep breath.

"The forest isn't real," he said. "Which means Katara and Sansetsu are probably in their own versions of it." He looked over his shoulder, trying to see any indication of which direction he should walk, but the forest looked identical from all sides.

" _'You passed the threshold already, and the only way out is through'_ ," he repeated. "Ok."

Decisively, he turned to his left, before starting to walk, practicing his breathing as he went to keep himself calm. Katara was probably going through the same thing, only she would have her own memories, her own futures, to decipher. It made sense, his past and his future were not hers, this was one place that they couldn't go together.

He realised very acutely as he walked, that he may not even see just his own past and future. Would the Spirit of Fortune also show him things from his past lives? Things in the life of the Avatar's to come after him? Would he even see things that were of use to him or would be wander the forest seeking answers for hours, days, weeks perhaps? He tried to push such thoughts from his mind, focusing on the trees around him and for any sign of movement.

 _What if it's a trick?_ came the familiar voice in his head, like-his-yet-not-quite. _What if this is Tonrar's doing?_ Aang groaned, he had hoped that the voice would perhaps leave him alone for yet a little longer.

It did not take long for things to begin stirring among the trees, the first figure drifting in and out of sight and leaving his heart hammering, wondering if he should follow or not. But when another figure grabbed his attention, from the corner of his eye, he realised that whatever he was supposed to see would not run from him. He was, after all, likely to find many memories here, and not all of them his. He swallowed, gritting his teeth as he continued to walk, weaving through the thickly clustered trees, all until a voice caught his attention. A voice that haunted his nightmares and left a feeling of deep dread in his stomach. His breath caught in his throat and he instinctively pressed himself against the trunk of the nearest tree, eyes wide as he peered around it to see the spirit that had all but ruined his life.

Tonrar stood not far from him, and though it was definitely him, he looked different from how Aang was used to seeing him. His eyes, no longer red, were instead almost an intense gold, not unlike the eyes of Zuko and his father, and though the detailed patternation on his head was still visible, it did not glow red like it did now. At first, he could not pull his eyes away, looking at his advisory who simply stood, as if in wait, nothing but polite compliance on his face.

"Avatar Wan?" Tonrar asked, his amber eyes fixing in Aang's direction, and all at once he realised that Tonrar did not see him as Aang. No, this Tonrar was not real, but a memory, a figment of the past, his past. He stepped forward, away from the tree, uneasily looking back at him.

"Tonrar?"

The spirit bowed his head, a gesture so unexpected that Aang found himself taking yet another step back, tripping on a branch at the ground, his arms swinging out to create a cushion of air beneath him as he landed. Grumbling, he looked back up at Tonrar, who seemed to wait patiently, almost as if he had not noticed Aang's embarrassing fumble, and after rubbing his sore rump, he climbed to his feet. He almost didn't notice anything, his hand reaching out to press against his knee as he stood, before he looked sharply down again, holding both his hands out before him. Hands without blue tattoos, hands that definitely weren't his own. Tentatively he reached up to his face, feeling a long beard at his chin, and a thick head of shoulder length hair. He almost forgot Tonrar in that instant, instead using a trick that had been inspired by Katara's sweat bending, spitting into his palm and bending it out into a thin sheet, cooling it with his breath until he had a make-shift mirror to look into. An older man looked back at him, with wild silver hair and an upturned nose, that he reached out to touch tentatively.

"Whoa."

"Avatar Wan?" Aang blinked, looking back over at Tonrar. "Why would you ask this of me?"

He frowned, dropping the mirror to the ground where it shattered. This was Avatar Wan's memories, not his own, and though he knew that what he and Tonrar discussed must have been of huge importance, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to know how this conversation went, what it was that he had asked of Tonrar, and who Avatar Wan really was.

"What do you think I have asked?" Aang ventured, taking a step closer to the older version of Tonrar, who lowered his gaze.

"You want me to guard all entrances to the Spirit World, to travel across it, in search of those that defy your law?"

"Of course," Aang breathed under his breath. He knew that it had been the Avatar that had first entrusted Tonrar with this role, and it must have been this version of himself, this past life, that had done it.

"I do," Aang said, more clearly now, before, "do you take issue with this?"

"No, Raava I would never go against your wishes!" Tonrar protested, yellow eyes widening with fear. "I just ... I wish to understand ... how can you deny access to humans, to the spirits that share their bodies, to ask me to punish them in this way, when you yourself are able to pass freely between each world?"

Aang's heart beat fast. "Because I am the Bridge between our two worlds," he said, the words coming before he was even aware of them. "Because the only way that each world can survive is if they are kept separate."

"But ... to punish them ..." Tonrar breathed. "Raava, this seems ... excessive. Please, I do not mean any disrespect, but ever since you bonded with that human-"

"Other spirits have bonded with other humans since," Aang interrupted. "I am not the only one, Tonrar." The words seemed now to come easy, as if he drew them from memories deeply buried.

"But you are the only one with this much power," Tonrar replied with urgency. "You have elected yourself ruler of both our worlds, worlds that were once one."

"The humans and spirits cannot co-exist, Tonrar, you know this. Even now the humans wage war among themselves, war that even Raava and I together cannot stop ... you don't want their wars spilling into this world."

Tonrar bowed his head, offering no argument.

"Humans need to learn to fear the Spirit World," Aang said softly, his thin pale arm reaching out now to rest upon the spirit's shoulder. "And I need you to give them a reason to fear it. It is a job I can only trust you with."

"Yes, Avatar, I understand."

The scene changed, his out-stretched arm touching thin air, as Aang looked down to see that his tattoos had returned. He stumbled, breathing out unsteadily as he rose a hand to his head.

"Whoa ..." He thoughts swirled. He was seeing the memories of his past life, speaking through him. "Ok," he breathed, "what's next?"

He hadn't needed to walk far before he found Tonrar again, and this time the spirit looked far more familiar, his eyes their deep dark red, and the carvings upon his forehead now glowing as they once did, but he had not expected to see a look of dire desperation on the spirit's face as he fell at Aang's feet, reaching out and grabbing the hem of the long green robe that he now wore.

"Please, Avatar Hema ... Raava ... I can't do this anymore ..."

He tried to step away, to pull away from the spirit, but instead he felt his arm reach out again, placing a soft feminine hand atop Tonrar's head.

"Tonrar, this is the wish of my past life, the first Avatar. I am sorry, but this is not something that I can undo."

"You do not understand," Tonrar whimpered, "you do not know how painful it has become, how much it tears at my very soul."

"I do understand, Tonrar," Aang replied softly, "but you are the only one who can do this."

Tonrar looked up at him, shock on his features. "You ... you can't be serious. You can't still be ordering me to do this?"

"I am. Do not think I am making this decision lightly, I have considered it, I have looked at all the options, but there are still people trying to cross into the Spirit World, who threaten the peace in both of our worlds."

"Can you not see how it has changed me?" Tonrar asked, sitting back on his haunches. "Do you not see what I am becoming?"

"I see it, but I do not believe that it will overpower you. You are an ancient spirit, Tonrar, as ancient as any, and you will not be consumed by this."

Tonrar disappeared again, Aang's hand returning to normal, his head beginning to ache from the effort of channeling his past lives through him. But it was more than that, he realised, as he looked down at the spot where Tonrar had been. He knew that the Avatar had been the one to order Tonrar to prowl the Spirit World and punish any humans that entered. But what he hadn't known was that Tonrar had come to the Avatar for help, and that that version of himself had turned him and his fears aside, failing to listen to him. He felt sick, leaning back against the bark of the nearest tree, his hand still raised to his head. Was it really any surprise, then, that Tonrar held such contempt towards him? Towards Sansetsu in the past?

"It doesn't matter," he said, his voice shaking with the effort. "Tonrar has still hurt people ... I still have to stop him ..."

 _But do you?_ came the voice. _Maybe you have a common enemy._

"No," Aang said aloud, feeling as though he had been struck in the heart, "the Avatar Spirit isn't my enemy."

 _Are you sure about that?_

He got back to his feet, ignoring the voice, and walked deeper into the forest. It wasn't long before he found Tonrar again, and he knew that this version of Tonrar was far closer to his time. He stood, dressed in the long dark, sleeveless robes, revealing the network of glows scars down his arms, his eyes shining the vivid red he was familiar with, contempt across his features. There were more figures now, and he recognized none of them except the elderly man with the shocking silver hair, standing in front.

"Tonrar, you are here today to answer for your crimes," Avatar Wan said, un-wincing in the wake of Tonrar's glare, the snarl across his lips. "Your sins ... are unspeakable. First, you cross into the mortal world, then you actively target the Avatar, and most despicable of all-" Avatar Wan stopped, his hands visibly shaking with his anger, "you took control of the Avatar Spirit."

Tonrar held his head back, looking down his nose at Avatar Wan with unadulterated disgust.

"Do you deny it? Any of it?"

"What good would that do me?" Tonrar replied in a cool voice. His eyes swept across the crowd of people, and Aang knew that they were all past Avatar's, an equal number of each Nation among them. "I notice that Avatar Sansetsu is not among you." He sneered. "Afraid to face me, no doubt?"

"Where Avatar Sansetsu is now is of no concern to you," Avatar Wan responded.

Tonrar scoffed.

"What _is_ of concern to you, however, is the nature of your punishment. Naturally we can not let you run free, the risk of you going after another Avatar is far too great."

"I'd like to know what makes you think that you are capable of doing anything to me," Tonrar hissed. "The current Avatar is just a two day old child, and you have no real power over me here. Not without Raava."

"Raava is not the only spirit that can keep you in line, Tonrar," Avatar Wan replied. Tonrar scowled, his eyes flickering between each of the past lives. "Koh has agreed to exact punishment on you, should you step another foot out of line ... should you go after the Avatar again."

Aang couldn't hold back his gasp, his eyes wide. It made sense to him now, why Koh had taken Tonrar's face, and why he and Roku both had pulled him to the Spirit World that night, and it also answered a question that had plagued him so much ... why Tonrar had not targeted another Avatar in all the years since Sansetsu's death.

"But ... why me?" Aang breathed. "Why come after me after all that time?"

As if in response, the figures before him vanished suddenly, leaving him alone in the forest yet again before the sound of something heavy dragging across the leaf litter dragged his attention to the left of him.

"Koh," he said, recognizing the sight of the dark carapace through the treeline. He jogged over, skidding on the ground as he stood before the spirit, his great height bearing down on him. His face was that of a woman, a women that he knew to be the wife of one of his past lives, and he was not surprised when he looked down to see his hands were once again without their tattoos, and darker.

"So, you've finally tracked me down, Avatar Kuruk," Koh hissed, eyes narrowed in disdain. "How many years has it been? Since we last saw one another ..." he grinned then, the face of Ummi grinning with him, and Aang felt a dead rage in his chest, Kuruk's memories stirring within him.

"I have come to slay you, spirit," he growled. "You stole the woman I love from me, you deserve death!"

"Then slay me, if that is what you really want," Koh replied evenly. "But, I wonder, do you know what will happen to the woman you love if you end my life?"

He felt his rage become replaced with a deep aching pain as he looked into the face of his past-life's love. He knew what would happen already, but it took a moment for Kuruk to catch up, dropping his fists, his face a picture of agony.

"That's right, Avatar," Koh said, his voice silken. "If you kill me, you also kill her."

"But why?" Aang asked, his voice weak. "Why would you take her from me?"

"Because you were a careless Avatar," Koh replied. "Your interests lay only with women, and alcohol, and proving your strength. You took for granted the peace that your predecessor worked so hard to create, and so I punished you for that. Only, I see that you have not learned your lesson."

"What can I do to you to prove that I can change?" Aang begged. "What can I do to get Ummi back?"

"You'll never get her back," Koh said, his voice now vicious. "You came here with the intent to kill me, Avatar, and that is not something that I will forgive. I will no longer stand by the Avatar, and any long-term agreements between us are now forfeit. Do not forget that."

Aang felt his knees hit the ground, for a moment his hands still that of Avatar Kuruk's as he shut his eyes, only for them to open down on blue tattoos once more.

"So, that's why," he said, his chest aching, "that's why Tonrar came for me. But why not Kyoshi, or Roku?"

 _Because they were both stronger than you are_ , came the voice once more. _You think Kyoshi could have been controlled by Tonrar? You think Roku would have hesitated to do what needed to be done? He sensed weakness in you. You know this_.

"But how does this help me?" Aang found himself yelling to the forest, frustrated. "How is this supposed to help me beat him?"

To his dismay, the forest didn't assist him this time, his echoing voice in the darkness the only response, and he climbed back to his feet.

"Think it through," he muttered under his breath. "There's a clue there, maybe you just didn't see it ..." But then, a rancid smell hit him, acrid and bitter like iron, and tortuously he turned, the forest beginning to glow red, terror and dread freezing his chest.

"No," he breathed, shaking his head, "I don't need to see this, I know ... I already know ..."

But his pleading would not stop the trail of thick red blood that flowed towards him, pooling at his feet as he looked into the glow, the sound of screams reaching him, the smell of blood and smoke, and in spite of himself he walked, the tacky blood sticking to his heels, his heart beating faster and faster with each step. The forest transformed entirely, the trees fading into a red mist and the ground falling away, wind messing about his hair and clothes as he found himself looking down onto the scene below from almost a great height, his silver eyes reflecting back the horrors below. A great fire bellowed, people screamed and cried as they tried to escape, only for the red mist to reach them as they fell to their knees, reaching out to anyone who ran by, pleading for help before they too vanished into the mist. He felt his arms spreading, tears falling down his cheeks, his body beginning to hum with the power of it, the sensation of so much energy, so much life, being drawn into his very being. He could see the Palace of the Fire Nation, as if he were soaring above it, he could see the people trying to run, trying to seek shelter from the powerful being above them, but it was futile. The Avatar's wrath reached them just as it did everything else, as the world below him fell to ruin.

He heard a voice scream his name, looking slowly over his shoulder he saw Katara, on her knees and reaching out to him. In front of him lay his world, and behind him as if looking through a mirage was the Spirit World, but he was out of her reach. There was nothing now that could end this.

"Stop!" Aang found himself screaming, the pain in his body now very much real. "Please, stop!"

His body fell hard on the ground, crying out as his knees connected with the hard surface, a jolt going up his right thigh, but it hardly registered among the rest of the pain that he felt, yelling as he pound his fists in the leaves.

"I know how it ends, ok!" he screamed, as loud as he could manage. "I know! Why are you showing me this? There must be another future! This can't be the only way it ends!"

The forest did not reply, and he climbed shakily to his feet, his face still a picture of fury and anguish.

"Why won't you help me?" he continued to yell, his voice breaking as his throat stung, but he was indifferent, and suddenly he found himself blinded as all the anger, and fear, and frustrations that he had been holding onto for the best part of a year came pouring out. "I have tried so hard, I've done everything that I could do! I have fought Tonrar even when it hurt so badly, I pushed my friends away, I pushed Katara away, I'll give anything that I have to stop this!" And then it dawned on him, his eyes widening and his face falling slack at the realisation.

"Is that it?" he asked, tears leaking from his wet eyes. "I have to give everything. My life, like Sansetsu did?" He raised a hand, wiping the dampness form his cheeks, before grimacing, shutting his eyes tight. "No," he said, "no, even if I end my life now that won't fix the tear. I still have to stop Tonrar, Koh still has to separate the two worlds again." He shook his head. "Then what?" he whimpered in a cracked, broken voice. "What?"

"Sweetie?"

He took a sharp intake of breath, turning on his heel, before he saw her standing behind him. She, a picture of beauty, purity, of all that grounded him to this world, and he found himself weeping with relief as she walked towards him, her arms outstretched.

"Katara," he choked, wrapping his arms tightly around her, burying his head in his shoulders, breathing in her scent. "I don't know what to do. How can I face Tonrar if this is what happens when he takes control of me? How can I go after him if it means there's even a chance that I could do all of this? That I could kill everyone?"

"What are you talking about?" Katara chuckled, her hand stroking the back of his head, and he stiffened. "You could never kill anybody."

He pulled away from her, before realising that this wasn't _his_ Katara. She was older, gentle lines gracing the sides of her mouth and eyes, hints at a life of laughter, and he found that it only made her more beautiful, a knowing spark in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Wh-when is this?" he managed, his legs feeling weak beneath him.

"Well, it's almost lunch," she said, quizzically popping an eyebrow. "Bumi's pretty insistent that we wait for you."

"Bumi?" he said, swallowing. "Why are we having lunch with Bumi?"

But she just smiled sweetly, taking his hand and leading him into the forest. He limped after her, his mind buzzing, confused, until he saw a small boy, no older than five, standing waiting for them. _He looks like me_ , was his first clear thought, the child with a wide grin on his face, and a shock of dark brown hair on his head that stood up in every direction. And he found himself on his knees once again, staring in wonder at the child, who laughed at him.

"We're not having a tea party, dad," he said, tiny hands on his hip.

"You're ... Bumi?" Aang asked weakly, reaching out to touch the child's face. "But-" he pulled his hand away sharply, getting to his feet and backing away. "So, does this mean there is another future?" he asked to the forest. "There's ... there's hope?"

"You frustrate me endlessly, but there is nothing quite as frustrating as when you don't listen to me."

He swung round again, this time looking at a man that he did not recognise. He was an airbender, not quite as tall as himself, lithe and bright with intelligent eyes.

"You keep talking about going into the Avatar State," the young man continued, speaking in a tone that suggested his patience was about starting to wear thin, "but you have no connection with your Avatar Spirit? Have you even spoken to your past lives? Do you know who they are?"

"I-" he hesitated.

"You want to know your greatest strength as the Avatar?" the man asked, cocking his head to one side. "Because it's not your smarts, let me tell you that."

"I don't-"

"It's your connection to your past lives," the man said, leaning forwards and staring at him intently. "If you're cut off from the Avatar Spirit, sure you can bend all four elements, but your spiritual abilities remain locked to you. Without a connection to the Avatar Spirit, you are not full, not entire, not, well, who you are meant to be."

"But, what if I can't connect to her?" Aang asked. "What if it's too dangerous? What if severing my connection to the Avatar Spirit is the only way to keep everyone safe!"

"That doesn't sound right to me," the man replied with a shrug. "Sound right to you? If you ask me, all of your problems come from this disconnect between you and the Avatar Spirit. Come on, Sunny, think it through for once, won't you?"

"Sunny?" Aang swallowed, before realisation dawned on him. "Kade ... _you're Kade_."

"There's no quick fix, either," Kade continued, frowning at him. "Gotami can help you connect with your spiritual self, but the only way to connect with the Avatar Spirit is to look within yourself."

He felt his hand rise to his chest, and looked down.

"But ... no," he said, "I can't connect with her, it's too dangerous."

"Then let me take charge," came another voice, this one all too familiar. Slowly he looked behind him, afraid of what he already knew he would see.

He came face to face with a version of himself, dressed in a dark red and brown sash that hung across his chest, his hands curled into fists as his shoulders hunched forwards, a grin across his face, silver eyes glaring maniacally; the dark version of himself that he fought so hard to keep imprisoned broken free.

"Raava makes you vulnerable, you do not need the connection with your past lives to experience the full power of the Avatar State. Use her, just like Tonrar does."

Aang shook his head, backing away. But the dark version of himself stalked forwards, stronger and more powerful, his face scarred, his tattoo's glowing even as his eyes remained steely. He had never thought that he could look so frightening, so intimidating.

"If you can't do this," the dark version continued, "if you are too weak, too frightened, then let me take over. Let me do it all for you."

Even as Aang tried to fight, to argue, he felt his resolve weakening. This version of him was so powerful, so certain, so capable. This version was terrifying, and dangerous, but what if it was only this version of him that was capable of ending Tonrar? Was this what it had all been leading up to, all along?

"That's right," the dark version all but purred, seeing the indecision in Aang's eyes. "You know it. You know you're not strong enough. _Think_ , think back." It reached out, grabbing Aang by the jaw, pulling him forward until they were nose to nose. "Think back on all of the great things you have done ... all of your wins ... since Tonrar took control of you."

Aang found he hadn't the strength to pull away, his hands only gripping the dark version's wrists weakly, his knees threatening to buckle.

"When you fought the spirits in the desert, who was it that took control, that stopped them before they could kill your friends? Me. When you faced Tonrar the first time, the second time, who was is that gave you strength? Me. When you beat the shit out of that undeserving Avatar Sansetsu in the desert, showed him how powerful you really was, who was it that made that possible? Me. And when you fucked Katara in the desert, who was it that made her moan and scream that way? _Me._ You are nothing, you have always been nothing, without me."

He could not pull his eyes away, the fear invading his body.

"This is what the forest is trying to tell you," the dark version said, letting go of Aang's jaw before placing his hand flush against his cheek, the other hand coming up to embrace Aang's face. "You can be powerful, beautiful, you can end Tonrar, if only you accept me."

For the longest moment he felt he hadn't the strength to argue. He was just so broken, so confused, and so fucking exhausted to find the energy to fight against it any longer, and he saw clearly the appeal of giving in, letting this version of himself take control, retreating into the depths of himself to rest for an eternity. The dark version of himself smiled, rubbing his thumbs against his cheek almost lovingly, and Aang felt his eyes closing before a flash of blue caught his attention. Achingly he opened his eyes once more, looking over the dark version's shoulders to see Katara. She stood still, her hands held against her chest, watching him with a deep sadness that hurt him greater than anything else could.

"I love you," she whispered, though he could hear her clearly. "Is that not enough?"

And he knew, in that moment, that it was. That it should be. This version of himself could not love her, could not love anybody. This version of himself could defeat Tonrar, of that he was sure, but it could not bring peace. It could not bring his and Katara's children into the world. Could not honor the memories of his past lives, of the loves that they lost. This version of himself was a means to an end, a way out, and he needed to be rid of it for the very final time. And so he reached out, placing a hand against it's chest, and another against it's forehead, breathing in, as he allowed himself to fully feel the energy inside of himself for the first time. He allowed himself to feel the pain and anger, the darkness, the violence, the lust for power and revenge, and mostly his desperation to feel safe. It was why he had buried the Avatar Spirit so deeply, after all, his desire to feel safe, and so he let her free.

It was agony at first, the power that spread through his limbs beyond anything he had felt before, his eyes blazing blue, his tattoos glowing. It was a stinging, ripping pain across his entire body, constricting his chest, and he honestly felt as though he was going to die in that moment, that his lungs would stop breathing, his heart would stop beating, and a ragged scream broke from his lips. Then, just as he was certain he could not take another heartbeat of the pain, it stopped. His eyes snapped open, gasping, before his body felt heavy as though it were falling from the sky. The sensation was peaceful, his eyes shutting once more, allowing himself to feel the relief that came with falling, letting his native element rush by him, before the sweet scent of grass filled his nostrils, his face suddenly wet as it pressed against something dewy, pressure against his chest.

"Aang!"

His hands gripped the grass beneath him, still dazed for a moment, before he felt warm hands on his shoulders, urgently pulling him back.

"Is this ... am I out?" he asked, his voice still painfully hoarse from his out-pouring of emotions.

"Yes," Katara replied, ducking her head so that he would look at her. She looked frightened, he realised, and he supposed that his sudden appearance must have come as a shock to her. "Aang ... you're bleeding!"

He blinked sitting up and looking down, realising that his palms and legs were covered in blood, staining the grass below him. He saw movement in the corner of his eye and looked up sharply to see Sansetsu, too, looking down at his, eyes wide in alarm.

"Fuck, hit the ground a bit hard didn't you?"

"He didn't hit the ground at all," Katara said somewhat irritably, grabbing his palms and inspecting them, before reaching to pull his trouser legs up. But Aang found himself starting to catch up with all the was happening, grabbing her hands.

"Stop," he said, "it's not mine."

If he had expected this statement to make sense, or calm them, he was to be surely mistaken as Katara drew her hands away from him sharpish.

"What?" she cried. "What do you- _who's blood is it?_ "

He shook his head, raising a hand to his head, forgetting the blood that stained his palms. "In the forest," he said, "I saw how it ends, how it could end," he correctly quickly, looking up at both of them. "There was so much blood, I must have fallen ..."

"But, it's not real," Katara insisted. "It was just memories, possible futures ..."

"Tell that to my knees," Aang said weakly, a short laugh cracking from his throat before causing him to cough.

"You seem in remarkably good spirits for someone who's just seen the end of the world," Sansetsu commented, crossing his arms against his chest as Aang pushed himself to his feet, brushing vanely at his knees and palms. "An end that I'm pretty certain you play a part in, no less."

Aang looked over at him, and Katara too looked incredulous, like she could not quite believe what she was seeing.

"I saw more than that," Aang replied. "Are you both ok? Did you get out of there ok?"

Sansetsu nodded stiffly. "Yeh, no issues had. Hardly saw anything, if I'm being honest." But the way he averted eyes told Aang that that wasn't strictly true. He looked at Katara, who looked at him with a hard expression.

"Katara?"

"I'm ok," she replied. "I found my way out, we've been waiting for you for almost two hours. I was starting to worry that you'd never come out."

"Two hours? Well, I guess there was a lot to process ..."

"Can you just tell us already?" Sansetsu sighed. "What did you see? Do you know how to beat Tonrar?"

"I don't know how to beat him, not exactly," Aang added hastily seeing the dumbfounded and frustrated looks on both Sansetsu's and Katara's faces. "But, I think I have the ability to."

"What does that mean?"

"I learned a lot whilst I was in there," Aang replied. His leg shook something fierce, aching painfully, and he gripped his thigh tight, trying to ignore the pain. "I was able to see the memories of my past lives, including the first Avatar. Avatar Wan."

"The first Avatar?" Katara breathed. Sansetsu looked stunned.

"Yes," Aang replied. "He was the one that ordered Tonrar to punish any human that came into the Spirit World, who shut off the portals between both of our worlds. But, there was more to it than that ... some cycles after, Tonrar came to the Avatar again and he begged for her to release him of his duties. It was changing him, he was growing darker, but the Avatar at the time refused, she wouldn't even listen to him."

"So, you're saying it's the Avatar's fault Tonrar is like this?" Sansetsu asked. Almost apologetically Aang met his eye, nodding.

"Tonrar tried to warn the Avatar of what was happening with him, he tried to get help, but he was turned away. And then, he went after you ... afterwards, after you died, the Avatar's before you met with him."

Sansetsu's face twitched at this, but he did not interrupt.

"They told him that as punishment they had instructed another spirit to watch him, to make sure that he did not do the same thing again. It was Koh, he was the one instructed to punish Tonrar if he went after that Avatar again."

"I guess that makes sense," Sansetsu replied. "It explains why he was the one to take Tonrar's face."

"Yes," Aang nodded, "but I couldn't work out why, then, Tonrar decided to come after me. That was until I saw Avatar Kuruk's memories of the day he found Koh with the intent to kill him. Koh broke his agreement with the Avatar then, something that Tonrar must have learned, because two cycles later he decided to come for me. Only he learned from his previous mistakes," he added, "he didn't try and get me on his side, or trick me into going into the Avatar State. He just forced me into it."

"But Koh still took his face," Sansetsu said, "despite saying that he wouldn't help the Avatar anymore?"

"I guess some sins just can't be forgiven," Aang replied heavily. "But it didn't help us, did it? It allowed Tonrar to control Koh, to come back, and to escape with the only spirit that can stop our worlds from tearing each other apart."

"Right," Sansetsu agreed, rubbing his face tiredly. "And I don't mean to be a buzzkill but none of that exactly helps us with Tonrar, does it?"

"It helps us to understand him," Aang corrected. "Besides, that's not all that I saw." He hesitated for a moment, his vision of the Fire Nation, the power spreading across his entire body as he drew the life forces from everything below him, and then ... him. The dark version of himself.

"Hey, earth to pipsqueak," Sansetsu said, snapping his fingers impatiently in Aang's face. "What did you see?"

"I- I don't exactly know how to explain it," he said, with effort. His throat hurt almost as much as his leg at this point, and he knew his voice was threatening to break. But Sansetsu stared at him intently, and Katara looked somewhat lost where she stood. "I saw myself, except ... not. A version of myself that Tonrar created, or Tonrar just helped along ... It- he- _I_ tried to take over, said that I could stop Tonrar that way. And I almost let it happen," he said weakly, not meeting Sansetsu or Katara's eyes in that moment. "But I also saw other things, including some of your memories, Sunny." He dragged his eyes painfully up to the past Avatar, who was looking back at him with mixed anxiety and apprehension. "I saw Kade, and he said that it was the Avatar Spirit that would make me strong. Except I've been hiding from it, because every time I tried to connect with her I would go into the Avatar State, or something close to. I've been hiding from her because I was convinced that it was the only way to stop the bad future from happening." He took a deep breath. "Except pushing the Avatar Spirit back was only making that dark version of myself stronger."

"What did you do?" Katara asked, her voice quiet and hesitant. Aang frowned, thinking back to the experience, trying to make sense of what had happened.

"I think I energy-bent _myself_ ," he said. "I felt the Avatar Spirit come forward and it was-" he hesitated.

"Good?" Sansetsu ventured. Aang shook his head quickly.

"No, it was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. I honestly thought I was going to die at one point, but then it was over, and now I'm here."

The group fell silent, none of them knowing exactly what it had meant, and what it could mean for their futures, and for challenging Tonrar. Aang looked down at the grass, tentatively probing inside of his soul, feeling his chi, and though it was hard to pin-point the sensation exactly, something felt different. The voice in his head had yet to speak, and he knew that that was because the voice didn't exist anymore, not like it had. He had not absorbed that part of himself, not exactly, but he had used it to try and make himself whole again. He looked up, back at the forest that stood ominously behind them for a moment, before making his mind up. He had to try. He had to know.

"What are you doing?" Sansetsu asked, as Aang stepped away from them, towards the edge of the tall grassy cliff edge that they were now standing on, the wind rushing through his short hair and kissing his skin pleasantly.

"I need to try something," he said, looking back at them. "Just ... stand back, and if anything goes wrong promise me you'll kick me off this cliff?"

"What?" Katara spluttered, but Sansetsu grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.

Aang took a deep breathe, turning his attention back to the scene spread out below them, the large expanse of grasslands, the true beauty of the Spirit World suddenly laid out in front of him. He shut his eyes, pressing his fists together, allowing himself to feel the energy inside of him. She was there, he could sense her, a tender wound deep in his chest that recoiled at his touch. The Avatar Spirit, Raava, was there and her time spent buried had damaged her, just as it had him, but there was no rage there any more. No deep seated anger fueling his every decision and every emotion, and almost gratefully the spirit reached out to him again, her grip filling him with a sense of comfort and peace and understanding that he had not realised he had missed until he felt it again. This is what it was like to connect with the Avatar Spirit, to go into the Avatar State with intentions pure, and he felt complete again. He could almost hear her soft laughter in his head, his body warming and his chest purring with relief, his eyes opening a bright vivid blue as his tattoos glowed, casting an almost blinding light over Sansestu and Katara, who covered their eyes. The wind around them picked up, bringing with it the rich scents of the grass and flowers around them, whistling through the trees, a gentle song filling the air for a moment as the pair looked back at the Avatar. Katara felt an aching joy in her chest, Sansetsu relief and pain, and Aang felt so sure and so confident for the first time in over a year, before letting his mastery of the Avatar State drop, his eyes returning to grey, his tattoos dulling, and the wind dropping.

For a moment, no one spoke, Sansetsu's mouth agape, and Katara hardly daring to breath until Aang turned back to them, a wide grin across his face, the dark veil of grief and pain that had shrouded him for so long having lifted. The forest had not told him how he should face Tonrar, but it had provided with him the tools he needed to finally reconnect with Raava, and with that renewed connection maybe it wouldn't even be possible for Tonrar to control him again. He took two steps towards them before Katara ran forwards, throwing her arms around him.


	25. Possible Futures

Now that they were out of the desert and the forest, they found that their progress across the Spirit World was almost pleasant. Getting down the cliff had been tricky at first, too tall for Aang to just jump off and bend their way down, but with some lengthy earthbending and a bit of airbending between, they finally landed at it's base, looking out at the gorgeous landscape before them. It was like the richest parts of the Earth Kingdom, the grass a vivid emerald green, wildflowers growing and swaying gently in the wind, and the beautiful scents were enough to calm all of them. Sansetsu seemed mostly unchanged by his experiences in the forest, still tight lipped and sarcastic, but his tone was companionable, his teasing somehow coming as a relief to Aang. Katara, however, hardly spoke a word, her eyes glazed with a faraway look as they walked. Aang kept his grip on her hand, squeezing it on occasionally and smiling down at her with encouragement, but despite the huge progress that Aang had made, her smile never quite met her eyes. She had not told any of them what she had seen in the forest, choosing instead to stay quite whenever the subject arose, and Aang began to wonder what it was she had seen, certain that it could not have been good.

Eventually they decided to stop. Aang was keen to sleep out under the stars, the grass soft beneath them and mercifully more comfortable than the bug infested forest floor they had been sleeping on, but Katara looking uncomfortable, her arms wrapping around herself. Glancing almost apologetically at Sansetsu, Aang pulled up a large earth tent from the ground, and without word Katara took herself inside, keen to seclude herself, and Aang felt a tight fist of fear over his heart, watching her go.

"You should probably talk to her," Sansetsu said in a low voice.

"Did she say anything to you?" Aang asked, as quietly as he could. "About what she saw?"

Sansetsu shook his head, but he sighed in a manner that suggested that whatever it was could not have been good, and Aang nodded.

"I'll be about," Sansetsu said, "but I'll give you some privacy." With that he disappeared, and Aang approached the cave, crawling inside before closing the entrance somewhat to offer her some more comfort.

She lay on her side, her body pulled in on itself, but her eyes stayed open. Swallowing Aang climbed up beside her, curling and wrapping his arms around her waist. She seemed to stiffen, before with a small sigh she let him hold her to him. For a moment they didn't speak, Aang offering her the chance to say something first before questioning her, but she didn't know what to say. Her mind raced and her soul ached, and she wasn't sure any amount of talking could fix that.

"Sweetie?" Aang breathed, eventually, and her stomach dropped. "You haven't said much since we got out of the forest. Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, and her hands gripped his tighter.

"Did you see something bad?"

She held her breath, and Aang noticed immediately.

"Something about your future?"

She nodded, minutely, almost in spite of herself.

"Our future?"

She shut her eyes tight, willing for no tears to fall, and that was all the answer that Aang needed. He leaned up, rolling her over so that she faced him, letting her press her face against his chest before the tears started to fall. He didn't know what she had seen, but he knew that whatever it was was far too hard for her to talk about it. He stroked the back of her head as she cried, her hands gripping his tunic.

"It's ok," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "It'll all be ok. I promise."

"How can you promise that?" she demanded, pulling her face away from him. "You saw how it could end, even now we don't know that that won't still happen. You can't promise me that it'll be ok, Aang, you can't."

He looked down at her, her blue eyes wide with tears and frustration and fear.

"You're right," he said thickly. "I'm sorry, I can't promise that. But I know I saw a good future too, one with both of us. Who's to say that's not the real future?"

She fell silent, hesitant. "You saw a good future too?"

"Ahuh." He stroked her face, wondering for a moment whether he should tell her about it, and in spite of himself he felt his cheeks start to warm. It wasn't like they hadn't mentioned children, but they had never truly talked about it, there always felt like there was far too much else going on that needed their immediate attention. She noticed the flush on his cheeks, and reached out to touch one of them.

"What did you see?"

He bit his lower lip, feeling embarrassed for a moment, but she asked with such urgency that he could not deny her. "You were older," he said.

"How much older?"

He considered for a moment. "I dunno, a few years maybe more. Not old, just older. And of course you look beautiful."

She blushed.

"It was after I saw what could happen if Tonrar won, and I lost control. I was so ... lost, Katara. I almost felt no hope at all, but then you called me. And you were standing there, and you just laughed and said that I could never kill anybody, and that we had to go because Bumi was waiting on me to have lunch."

"Bumi?" Katara asked. "Sweetie, do you remember the last time King Bumi had us over for lunch? He gave up creeping crystal for desert with absolutely no irony at all."

Aang laughed, remembering the event fondly. "Yeh, but it wasn't _King_ Bumi."

"We know another Bumi?" Katara asked, confused. He smiled at her, wondering how best to word it, what he had learned, what possibly future lay ahead of them.

"Well, not yet," he admitted. "But, that's what we name him. Our son."

Katara breathed in sharply, eyes wide as she looked up at him in wonder. "Wait, you saw that too?"

Aang's eyebrows rose, shocked at first, and then excited. "You had the same vision?"

"Well, not exactly the same. But, I wonder ..." she giggled suddenly, pulling him closer to her as she hid her face in his shirt. He looked down, bemused.

"What's so funny?"

"I think we have three kids," she said, somewhat coyly. "The little boy I saw, he was so tiny, wearing Air Nomad clothes, and he was crying because his big brother was being mean to him." She laughed again, and Aang could not stop the smirk from coming to his lips.

"Well, I mean if this is how you're going to react to that then maybe we need to rethink the whole parent thing."

He slapped his chest, still laughing. "Oh, shut up," she said. They fell silent again, Aang unable to shift the wide grin in his face as he hugged her to him.

"Three?" he said finally, and she hummed.

"Mhmm, the little boy said he had an older sister, too."

"Two boys and a girl," Aang said in wonder. "I could live with that."

"Is it weird that this isn't ... weird," Katara asked, looking up at him. "We're not even married yet, but know how many kids we could have?"

"Presuming we stop at three," Aang replied, suddenly completely serious. "I mean, maybe we should try for another girl, even things out."

"We've not even tried for out first yet," Katara reminded him pointedly. Aang hummed at this, looking over her head as if in consideration, lips moving slightly as he seemed to count something in his head. She was certain that he was trying to work out the maths based on how old she had looked, and how old they were now, and she could only smile, laughing softly. He looked back down, a goofy grin on his face.

"Feel better?"

Her smile faded a fraction. Aang clearly had not seen what she had, what would be required to close the tear between their worlds when the time came. But, they had both seen another future, and she just had to have faith that that future would be possible. "A bit."

"Good," Aang breathed, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. She pressed her face against his chest again, feeling it expand with a contented breath, enjoying his warmth and comfort. She had to believe in that future. The good future.

"Aang?"

"Yeh?" he replied, his voice sounding sleepy.

"Can you really control it now? The Avatar Spirit?"

His breathing faltered for a moment, and she could feel his heart beat harder as he considered it.

"I think so."

"But what about ... when you get emotional? Like when you lost your temper with Sansetsu?"

"I'm not certain," he replied, "but I think I can. It feels different now."

For a moment she hardly dared to speak, but Aang thought he knew what she was going to ask, and he decided to make it easier on her.

"Hey, it's ok," he said, kissing her on the forehead again before sitting himself up. "Honestly, I think my leg took a bit of a battering today, the last few days, we should probably do another healing session anyway before I fall asleep."

Katara breathed with relief, throwing him a grateful look as she picked up her waterskin from the grass, thankful that he had taken pity on her and not left her to ask. He untied his sash, and pulled down his trousers, which were still covered in dry blood from the forest.

"You know what would be nice?" he said, keeping his tone light as Katara placed a hand on his scar, feeling the muscles for any new tightness. "Some fresh clothes. Or maybe a lake to properly wash these in. I never thought I'd miss doing laundry."

"We probably smell worse than Sokka's old sleeping bags," Katara agreed, and the pair snickered. "I don't know how everything he touched just immediately started smelling of feet."

She knew that he was trying to keep the conversation light for her benefit, and she appreciated it as she bent the glowing water against his leg, breathing slowly out. Aang let out a moan of relief, not realising quite how knotted up his muscles were until she placed her healing hands onto them, the sting in his hip mercifully starting to fade. He felt her reach out, probing deeper, and he didn't fight against the sensation, just shutting his eyes and letting her do what she needed to do. Eventually she took her hands away from him, and he opened his eyes to see hers swimming with tears, his heart stopping.

"Katara? What's wrong?" He immediately climbed over to her, but she just shook her head, a gentle smile on her lips as the tears spilled onto her lap.

"You're you again," she said, sniffing and brushing the tears from her cheeks. He reached out, pressing kisses against her cheeks, her forehead, and her nose, until she laughed, wrapping her arms gratefully around him. He cast a half glance behind them, he could just see Sansetsu, a good way away from them with his back turned, sat as if meditating, and decisively he kicked his leg on the ground, shutting the tent the remainder of the way, the only light now the gentle glow from the sky above filtering through the cracks. She looked at him questioningly.

"Well," he said, before pressing another kiss to her cheeks, before dropping to her jaw. "About that whole trying for a family thing ..."

"What about it?" Katara asked, her hands curling into his hair as he gently started to nibble against her jawline.

"I'm just thinking," he said in a low voice, "we should probably get some more practice in, you know?"

"Was that a pick-up line?" Katara asked. Aang paused, grinning.

"Only if you think it was a good one."

"What about Sansetsu?"

Aang pulled away, raising an eyebrow at her. "What about him?"

"Won't he hear us?"

"Oh! Nah, he's too far away," he assured, before pressing his lips against her neck, his breath hot against her neck as he combined the elements of fire and air in his chest. "And who cares if he can?"

Katara was about to say that she probably would care, and that she wasn't entirely sure if Sansetsu would have the decency not to listen or not, but the thought was pushed clear from her head as she felt his hands, suddenly hot to the touch, caress the back of her neck before dropping down to her shoulders. She wasn't sure if he was even consciously using firebending in that moment, and even though she had not felt that darkness at his core she couldn't help but worry, briefly, that he had already lost control. But, her worries were cast aside and she was swiftly lost in the sensations as he then proceeded to breath gently against her, cooling her skin once more and causing goosebumps to rise up on her chest, proceeding to use fire and airbending to warm and cool her as he explored, seeing how she reacted. This very action, his use of the elements as an extension of himself once more, brought her more comfort that she could admit, and she gratefully arched her back as he kissed down her stomach, his hands holding her hips.

He knew, as did she, that the bad memories and the frightening future that she had seen in the forest were far from gone in her mind, even as she dragged her hands through his hair as he continued his kisses at her center, her toes curling against his sides at the sensations. She found herself tortuously torn between letting herself feel fully the experiences of the present, Aang running his tongue across her with his breath hot, and fearing the images that still flashed across her mind, a horrifying reel that she could not stop, and suddenly she felt heart wrenching panic that she could not see him, her hands gripping the sides of his face and pulling him back up hers. She saw his mild confusion morph to fear when he saw the expression on her face, distantly aware that her cheeks were now wet with tears, before she pressed her lips against his, her arms and legs wrapping him as tightly to her as was possible.

"Sweetie?" he breathed, pulling away a fraction to look at her, his face twisted with worry, but she just shook her head, her hands reaching up to hold either side of his face.

"I'm ok, just ... don't leave me, please don't ever leave me ..."

"I would never leave you," he said back. "Hey, look at me." She glanced up, a fresh tear rolling out of the corner of her eye and into her hair as he looked intensely back at her. "I mean it, Katara. I would never leave you."

She sniffed, eyes shutting tight for a moment as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about this?" he asked, softly. She shook her head. She couldn't talk about it, she couldn't tell him what she had seen, what she knew would be needed to close the portal. But what she could do is keep him close to her, to breathe him in, to see his smile and let him imagine a future that she knew deep down could never happen. If the spirit's required her sacrifice to heal the worlds, then she would give it, anything so that he could continue to live.

"No," she whispered. "Just ... make love to me, sweetie, please ..."

He didn't need telling twice, pressing his lips against her once more, matching her urgency as she arched against him, again lost in one another's touch.

Sansetsu, of course, did hear them. Sat with his eyes closed as he tried to meditate before the subtle yet undeniable sounds of their fast breaths reached him, and he had frowned.

"Some people are trying to meditate," he muttered angrily. Before, with a heavy sigh, he got to his feet. "I'm leaving!" he called loudly, so that they would hear him, "and if spirits find you it's your own damn faults!"

But inside of the cave, the couple hardly paid him any heed though they heard his disdain, intent only on showing just how desperately they needed each other.

Aang woke early the next day, the bright morning sun casting a delightful array of light across the inside of their private cave and dancing across his eyelids until he stirred. Katara lay beside him, curled up as close to him as she could be, one leg hooked around his waist as her face buried into his chest, and he felt nothing by complete adoration for her as he looked down at her elegant form against his, his cheeks flushing pink as he realised that they were both still completely naked. He wanted very much to continue lying there, his hand about her waist, but he knew that Sansetsu only had so much patience, and there was still a lot left for them to do. He pressed a kiss against her forehead, whispering her name, and she stirred.

"Hmm?"

"I said morning, sleepyhead."

She blinked slowly up at him, a slow smile on her face, before reaching up to press her lips onto his, her leg tightening around him and pulling him closer, and he felt his resolve start to break before it had even been fully formed, moaning softly as he lowered his hand to her thigh, biting her lower lip.

"What time is it?" she breathed against him.

"I dunno," he mumbled, in between kisses, "does it matter?"

"I suppose not."

They were sure to be quieter this time, rocking one another gently and sweetly, pressing soft kisses against mouths and faces, until Katara mewled in his ear, biting it to stay silent, before the pair collapsed back onto the grass again, Aang laying light kisses across the side of her cheek and jaw as her hand lazily stroked up and down his back.

"I think perhaps we should get up now," she whispered, and he couldn't help but laugh, the sound vibrating comfortingly through her chest.

"You're probably right," he said, breathing in the scent of her hair. "I'm sure Sansetsu is ready to murder both of us at this point."

Somewhat regretfully, the sat up, helping each other to find their clothing scattered across the cave, Aang dressing quickly first and pecking a kiss against her cheek before bending back the entrance so that he could climb out, stretching his arms above his head and groaning as his spine clicked into space. The sun was still somewhat low on the horizon he realised with some relief, but it was already far warmer than the forest had been. He glanced about, before spotting Sansetsu laying back on the grass with his hand in his hands, one leg crossed over the other, thankfully not appearing bothered by the fact that they had not already set off yet.

"Oh, you're up finally," called Sansetsu, sensing him before Aang even got another yard closer. He opened a single eye, watching Aang shrewdly for a moment, before sitting up.

"Yeh," Aang replied, somewhat awkwardly, fully aware that he and Katara had not been quite as quiet as they had thought they were being the night before. "Everything ok last night? No spirits or-"

"If there was I would have woken you," Sansetsu interrupted with a wave of his hand.

Katara came out of the earth tent, pulling her boots on as she did and shielding her face in the low sun, Aang glanced back, unable to stop his soppy smile as he saw her, and Sansetsu made a retching noise, grabbing Aang's attention once more.

"We've already wasted enough time," Sansetsu announced, climbing to his feet as Katara came over to join them. "There's a lot that we need to get on with, and as glad as I am that the spirit forest helped you to get over your Avatar State issue, it damn sure used up a lot of time."

"Why are you in so much of a rush all of a sudden?" Katara asked.

"Well, you heard your friend back there in the forest, didn't you? You had, best case, ten days before a war starts over in your world, and that was a couple of days ago now. I just assumed that you'd want to give yourself the best chance of getting back there before things got out of hand."

Aang was taken back, his brow raising almost comically at Sansetsu's words. It wasn't that he expected him not to care, exactly, but he'd not expected him to lay any real importance on the matter, and he certainly had not been prepared for Sansetsu to suggest that it may even be in the realms of possibility to get back there before the war broke out. Katara, too, seemed surprised, and obviously uncomfortable.

"But ... that leaves us, what, a week? Less? How is that even going to be possible?"

"Well, I didn't think it would be," Sansetsu replied honestly, "that was until pipsqueak here had some huge epiphany on the spirit forest and regained control over his Avatar powers. Now, I think, there is a chance that we could be ready to fight Tornar sooner, rather than later."

"But I still don't know exactly how I'm going to fight him," Aang said, hesitantly.

"Yeh, you do," Sansetsu replied shortly, looking down at Aang with a cold hard expression on his face. "You know perfectly well what you need to do. And now that you can go into the Avatar State you've all the power you need to take him out."

Aang swallowed, averting his gaze, and looking at the emerald grass swaying in the breeze. He had accepted it, as much as it pained him to do so, but still a part of him hoped that maybe there was another way, that perhaps Tonrar could be saved.

"News travels fast in the Spirit World," Sansetsu continued, "and by now Tonrar will be fully aware that we have left the city. He may even know that we passed through the Spirit of Fortune by now, too. Assuming it has been months, we can pretty much guarantee that Tonrar will have found and taken possession of his own body once again, which means that he will be powerful. Far more powerful than either of us had to experience in the mortal world."

"Powerful how?" Katara asked, worried. "Will he be able to control Aang easier?"

"Possibly," Sansetsu replied. "But also physically he will be far stronger here. He is an ancient spirit, after all, whether he can control Aang or not he's not going to go down without a fight."

"It seems like a huge risk to wait until I face Tonrar again to find out if he can still control me or not," Aang muttered.

"It is," Sansetsu said bluntly, "but we haven't any other option. All we can do now is work on your training, and work out where Tonrar is hiding."

"I think I know where he is," Aang replied immediately. "Or rather ... I know what the place looks like. As for where it is, we might need some help with that."

Sansetsu looked interested, brow raised. "Go on."

"There's a place, I've seen it in my nightmares, and it's also where I was standing when Tonrar captured me in the Spirit World ... it seems mostly empty, just lots of jagged rocks in a ring that I'm always standing in the center of."

Sansetsu frowned, rubbing his chin for a moment as if in thought, before with a heavy sigh he shrugged.

"Sorry, kid, but that doesn't really mean much to me. But ..." he hesitated, looking deeply put out by what he was about to say, "perhaps it's time we talked to some spirits."

"Should be easy enough in the spirit world."

"Right, but finding spirits that aren't in league with Tonrar? Not so much."

"What about them?"

The pair looked up at Katara's words, and in the direction that she was pointing. In the distance, dancing in and out of the tall wild flowers that grew in this part of the Spirit World, bright colourful spirits were visible, hovering just off the ground, seemingly watching them from a distance.

"How long have they been there?" Aang asked, cautiously, but he was taken aback by the loud relieved laugh coming from Sansetsu, who wasted no time running over to the spirits. Sharing an alarmed look with one another, Aang and Katara hurried after him.

Aang was pleasantly surprised when he saw the spirits up close for the first time, large ears flapping to keep them in the air, big black eyes looking back at him with their own wonder, and he had to admit that they were actually quite ... cute. Like colourful rabbits that zipped through the air, their fluffy noses twitching with interest.

"Hello there, spirits," Sansetsu said warmly, an actual smile on his face as they looked at him. The spirits, all five of them, huddled close together at his arrival, cautious at first before one of the spirits broke free, flying high and hovering in front of Sansetsu.

"Hey guys!" the spirit called, excitedly, doing a single lap around Sansetsu, "it's the Avatar! The one that used to come with the pretty lady!"

The four other spirits all looked at one another for a moment, before realization dawned, and they jumped high, each of them flying close to Sansetsu, some pulling at his braid, others at his robe, as if they were trying to get a better look at him. It was strange to see such a genuine smile on Sansetsu's face as he raised his arms, allowing the spirits to fly around him.

"Well, I'm not strictly the Avatar anymore," he said, and the white rabbit-like spirit that had originally spoke let out a small gasp.

"No wonder we haven't seen you in so long!" it said.

"Or the pretty lady either," the blue rabbit-like spirit said, a little sadly, before it suddenly perked up. "Where is she? Did you get married?"

Sansetsu's smile faded immediately, a shadow crossing his face as his lip twitched. Aang quickly opened his mouth, as if to step in, but Sansetsu recovered quickly.

"Don't be silly," he said quickly, plastering a painful looking smile on his face again. "Air Nomads don't marry. Besides, I'm here with some people even more exciting right now."

The spirits turned their attention to Aang and Katara, both stricken in their own way. Aang by the intensity with which all five spirits suddenly looked at him, and Katara with the small bomb that Sansetsu had just landed on her that Air Nomads didn't marry, momentarily grieved by how indifferent Aang had been to the statement before forcing herself back to her senses.

"This is Katara," Sansetsu said, gesturing to her. "She's come all the way from the human world."

The spirits squealed, now flying towards her, pulling gently at her hair and dress just like they had done with Sansetsu. They seemed to put a lot of weight in the texture and smell of things, and Katara was taken back to find one of them pick up a lock of her hair and sniff it.

"You smell pretty," the little blue spirit said.

"You look pretty too," said the pink spirit, circling her with delight.

"Oh, uh, thank you," Katara said, somewhat awkwardly as they pulled at the sleeve of her dress.

"Don't mind them," Sansetsu said, "they're just very ... handsy."

"I can see that."

"And this," Sansetsu continued, dragging their attention to Aang, "is the new Avatar."

As one the spirits gasped, only their reaction to Aang had not been what he expected, all five of them suddenly recoiling, springing together and retreating back to the safety of the flowers again, watching him with fearful eyes. Aang blinked.

"Oh, hey, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," he said quickly, unsure what it was that he must have done to upset them. The white spirit shook it's tiny head, it's body beginning to shake.

"You shouldn't have come here!" it squeaked. "Tonrar is everywhere!"

"Everywhere!" the other four spirits repeated as one, and Aang felt dread settle in his stomach, glancing across at Sansestu who seemed just as alarmed.

"You need to go!" the white spirit said, "before-"

But the spirit wasn't able to finish it's statement, as a sudden wind began to pick up, the sky going dark. The group looked up, instinctively standing closer together, as a storm seemed to wage above them. But that, it seemed, wasn't the worst of it, as Sansetsu quickly grabbed their attention.

"Uh, folks ..."

Aang looked around to see that the cute bunny spirits had suddenly grown in size, towering over them, their bodies hunched over, darkening, as their eyes burned a bright blue, hissing and spitting in his direction. He quickly swung an arm out in front of Katara, backing them both up, as the spirits growled and began to advance on them.

"What is happening to them?" Katara cried, as the spirits started to circle them, having to yell over the sound of the howling winds whipping above them.

"Tonrar must have already got to them," Sansetsu yelled back.

"Ok, and what do we do about that?"

"How should I know!"

"You're the one that's supposed to be teaching Aang!" Katara all but screamed back.

"To deal with Tonrar! Not fight giant fucking rabbits!"

"How are they any different!"

But Aang had little time for their argument, eyeing each of the spirits carefully as they circled around them. Surely this moment, if there was indeed any moment, was the moment for him to test his control over the Avatar State. He had calmed angry spirits before, before he had even known what he was doing, he could certainly do it again. These spirits were being used, just like he had, and they just needed to be healed.

He held his arms out, taking a deep breath, before with a sharp compression of his fingers, he pulled water from the grass at their feet, rotating his upper torso swiftly and freezing a ring of ice around them shards pointing outwards as a temporary barrier between them and the spirits.

"What good it that gonna do?" Sansetsu snapped. "Do you have any idea how fucking powerful you are here, asshole?"

But Aang paid no heed to Sansetsu's insults, knowing that Katara would be quick to defend his honour and administer a slap around of the back of his bald head, instead standing straight and tall, pressing his fists together, just as the spirits opened their jaws wide and roared, a flash of blue light washing over them as Aang took control of the Avatar State.

Sansetsu was not wrong. He was used to feeling powerful in the Avatar State, it was an sensation that had always left him feeling both exhilarated and terrified, even long before Tonrar came onto the scene, but here it felt different. He felt more than just powerful, it was more than just the knowledge of what he was capable, the knowledge of his past lives behind him, he felt like a god. He could feel his energy entwining with the earth beneath their feet, the wind in the sky, he could heard the blood pumping through Katara's veins, and Sansetsu stood behind him suddenly shining so brightly, feeling the incredible connection that entwined them. But he could also feel the spirits, their pain and their confusion, and as the glow in his eyes died the understanding inside of his heart dawned. He pulled the ice shards up again, at the same time gently pressing his feet into the earth, as a column of it broke free and rose several feet into the air, taking Katara and Sansetsu with it and out of the spirit's reach. The spirits did not react kindly to him suddenly going into the Avatar State, and they launched themselves at him, but Aang was ready, spinning to water around him before encircling it around each spirit, the water glowing.

The spirits were suddenly unable to move, the glowing water circling higher and faster around them, the storm starting to die in the sky before, achingly, Katara and Sansetsu watched as the spirits began to shrink again their normal colour returning before the sky turned blue again, the brightness of the place returning as if nothing had happened. "I'm not going to hurt you," Aang repeated to them, before he let go of his control over the Avatar State in that moment, breathing out easy as the water fell back to the ground.

A stunned silence followed, the spirits now back in the usual forms, grouped together again, each of them shaking and hugging close to each other for support, as Sansetsu and Katara looked down from their perch on the earth column, mouths agape with what they had just seen.

"What just happened?" Katara breathed, at last. Aang bent the column back to the ground again, looking back at her with a half shrug, as suddenly the spirits jumped into the air again, chittering and squealing excitedly as they flew around him.

"That Avatar saved us!" they cried, some of them perching on his shoulders and head as he laughed.

"I'm serious," Katara said, walking up to him, reaching out to take one of the spirits as it nuzzled against her too. "What just happened?"

"Well, I had to try going into the Avatar State at some point," Aang reasoned. "Seemed like a good time to try."

Sansetsu stayed back where the column had been, saying nothing as he watched the spirits fawn over the new Avatar, his expression suddenly sour.

"Well, it worked," Katara said, smiling at him. "I'm proud of you."

Aang's cheeks burned at the intensity of her gaze, before he caught sight of Sansetsu stalking up to them, his expression knocking the smile of his lips.

"Alright, alright," he said quickly, waving his hand at the spirits as they took flight again. "There's no time for this. Tell us, spirits, when did Tonrar get his shitty claws on you?"

The spirits looked uncertainly at him, then back at Aang who offered them an encouraging smile.

"He came through here," the white spirit said, "it was a while ago now, it was scary ..."

"What did he look like?" Sansetsu demanded.

The spirits looked among each other, whispering for a moment, before the white spirit spoke again.

"It was Tonrar, but he wasn't in his body," it replied, the high voice hushed. "His energy affected everyone here, and he told us to attack the new Avatar if we saw him."

"Right, that's all we needed to know," Sansetsu said shortly. "Come on, let's get going."

Aang and Katara exchanged a look, before Aang bowed in front of the spirits.

"Thank you for your help, little spirits," he said. "Please don't mind my friend, he's just ... had a bad few days."

The spirit's seemed to understand, looking over at Sansetsu forlornly as he stalked away.

"I have one more question for you, if that's ok?" The spirit's nodded.

"I'm looking for a particular place in the Spirit World," he said, "I don't know much about it, but it's a large place, surrounded by jagged rocks that form a circle ... perhaps it's somewhere that Tonrar might like to hang out."

Fear dawned on the expression of the spirit's once more.

"That sounds like the Valley of Time," the white spirit whispered. "It is a dangerous place, Avatar, most spirit's do not dare to go there but ... it is where Tonrar has retreated from time to time."

"The Valley of Time ..." Aang repeated, looking across at Katara who looked decidedly nervous. "How do I get there?"

"It is the center of the Spirit World," the blue spirit whispered, "all path's lead there eventually. We can't say any more!"

And with that, the spirits vanished, turning tail and diving off into the wild flowers that surrounded the grasslands, leaving behind them a sense of dread.

Aang and Katara had to jog to catch up with Sasnetsu, who was already stalking back across the large plane, his expression dark and his hands curled into fists. Aang was not strictly sure what it was that he could have possibly done to warrant such a sour attitude from his past life once again ... surely he should be pleased? This was what he had wanted from Aang all along, after all. He had wanted him to gain control of the Avatar State, but now that he had it seemed as though it had only managed to piss Sansetsu off even more. He felt downcast, sighing heavily as he walked, eyes despondent as he looked at the back of his past life's head. Katara hated to see him looking so hurt, but she felt she knew what was going on, and she bit her lip as they walked.

She had started to suspect, some time previous, that Sansetsu didn't have an actual plan in mind when it came to helping Aang defeat Tonrar. Sure, he had encouraged Aang to get stronger, he had told him that he needed to regain control of the Avatar State, and he had led them to the Spirit of Fortune, but when it actually came to teaching Aang he had continued to fall short. She was reminded of what Aang had said only a few days previous, about how it was actually them who were here to help him, and she was starting to feel certain of the accuracy of this statement. In fact, now that Aang was starting to move beyond what Sansetsu knew, certainly beyond what he had ever achieved in his own lifetime, he was starting to behave coldly again. He had not even waited to ask the question that they had approached the spirit's for to begin with. In fact, he seemed almost jealous, like he was angry at Aang for being able to do the things that he couldn't. Truthfully, Katara wasn't sure whether they really needed the past Avatar's help any more, as much as she was loathe to bring up the subject with Aang ... and she was certain that Sansetsu knew this too.

"So, I asked the spirit's about the place that I keep seeing in my nightmares," Aang called, hesitantly from her side. She glanced between him and Sansetsu, apprehensive.

"Great," Sansetsu replied simply, not slowing down. A minute flare of Aang's nostrils and a flush on his cheeks was the only indication Aang gave that he was feeling frustrated as he forced his tone to remain amicable.

"They said it sounded like somewhere called the Valley of Time. Does that mean anything to you?"

Sansetsu seemed surprised for a moment, his gait slowing just a fraction as he glanced back at them, before he recovered.

"I've heard of it," he replied doggedly, "it's supposed to be the spiritual center of the universe, and where the line between the two worlds are at their finest. I don't know what gave it it's name, it could be superstition, or something long lost to history, but it certainly makes sense for Tonrar to be there right now, don't you think?"

"So, how do we get there?" Aang asked. At that, Sansetsu scoffed, much more forcibly than was needed.

"I would have thought that was obvious, oh great Avatar," he sneered, "just follow the dark spirits Tonrar's left behind."

Aang fell silent, and Katara was unable to miss the hurt in his expression. Her own hands shook with anger, she had long hoped that Sansetsu's cruel teasing was behind them, and it seemed so had Aang. She resolved to have a conversation with the past Avatar.

The remainder of the day passed mostly in silence, and the longer they walked the more obvious Tonrar's influence on the Spirit World grew. Not all the spirit's had grown dark, of course, and remarkably few of them made any effort to launch themselves at Aang like the rabbit spirits had, but the growls and snarls that followed them as they walked were unnerving enough, keeping the three of them on edge the entire day. Some did attack, however, and Aang would swiftly fall into the Avatar State and calm them like he had the spirits in the grasses, but it was become evident that doing this put Aang under a lot of strain, his body slowing and his shoulders sagging, not quite following the track of any conversation that they may have had. He may have mastered the Avatar State again, but he was still out of practice, and spiritually he was still vulnerable. Soon it became a matter of urgency for them to rest, not wanting to risk Aang failing to heal the next spirit they came across.

Despite the darkness of the spirit's around them, the world itself was still exceptionally beautiful, and the sky above twinkled with far-away stars, casting a distance silver sheen across them as they stopped. Aang stretched himself out on his back with a heavy, tired sigh, eyes shutting quickly as he lay spread-eagled on the grass.

"Shouldn't we try and find some cover?" Katara asked, feeling vulnerable on the vast grassland. Aang nodded his agreement as, with a groan, he sat himself up again. "Sorry," she muttered, but he flashed her a friendly smile before sitting on his knees, his lazy administration of earthbending something that she was sure would have earned him a hard punch from Toph back in the day as he rolled the earth in front of him and pulled up a large curve of rock that would act as a make-shift tent for them. She was half tempted to tease him for his lazy effort before she realised that his action had left a blanket of soil and grass over the top of the tent that would leave their hide-out almost camouflaged from certain angles and, instead, found herself quite impressed.

"Neat."

"Yeh, but you both better be keeping your hands to yourselves tonight because that thing is wide open on one side," Sansetsu chastised, looking sideways at the tent with a certain disdain.

"Shut up, Sansetsu," Aang said as he crawled into the tent and flopping down on his back again. His tone was light, playful, but she absolutely did not miss the bite of resentment at the edges, and the use of Sansetsu's full name again was enough of an indication that Aang felt decidedly disenchanted with the past Avatar at this point. Katara didn't spare the past Avatar a second glance as she sat herself at the entrance of the cave.

"Do you want to eat anything?" she asked Aang, but he just sleepily raised a hand.

"No thanks," he replied, with a large yawn, "I think I just need to sleep."

It was perhaps testament to how tired Aang was that he didn't even wait to assure himself that Sansetsu was on watch before his breathing slowed. Katara watched him for a good few minutes, picking through the handful of nuts and seeds that they had collected, before she became satisfied that Aang had indeed fallen asleep, before she allowed herself to look at Sansetsu.

The past Avatar was sat several feet from them, his cool silver eyes flashing in the starlight as he kept his watch on the horizon. It only took a second for him to realise that Katara was staring at him, glancing in her direction with a deep frown.

"What?" he demanded. Katara checked again that Aang was still sleeping, before she got to her feet.

"We need to talk," she said.

Sansetsu groaned, his eyes rolling. "No, we don't," he replied. "Just go to sleep already." But she ignored him, instead walking up to where he was sat and deliberately dropping down in front of him, so that he had no choice but to look at her. Her expression was firm, and she was prepared to physically restrain the past Avatar if that was what was needed for him to listen to her. Sansetsu seemed to recognise the challenge, looking her dead in the eye and set his shoulders.

"I'm not looking for a fight, Sansetsu," she said, and he raised his eyebrows, nodding his head down to the hip flask she still wore, and upon which one of her hands rest.

"You sure about that?"

She didn't move her hand, letting herself sit comfortably on the grass. "I need to ask you something, Sansetsu, and I'd really appreciate if you could be honest with your answer."

His teeth ground, but he did not move away, watching her with a certain apprehension before she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to ask.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Excuse me?" Sansetsu replied immediately, anger on his face.

"Did you have any plans beyond the city?" Katara asked. "Or was the plan always to send us off after Tonrar alone as soon as Aang regained control of the Avatar Spirit?"

Sansetsu's face burned, one lower lid twitching, but the quick dart of his eyes from her to where Aang was sleeping was enough of an answer for her, and she sighed, raising both hands to her face, exhausted.

"You know, neither of us expected you to come with us when we finally left," she said, her voice tired. "Don't you think it would have been better for you to be honest with us?"

"Honest?" Sansetsu quipped, his sneer quickly falling back into place. "I don't think I've ever once said that I knew where I was going? It's not my problem if you both assumed that I did."

"You've been walking ahead of us the whole time," Katara hissed, her anger rising yet still trying hard not to wake Aang. "What else were we supposed to do but follow you?"

"I dunno, you could have just gone a different direction," Sansetsu shrugged. But he was being petty, and they both knew it. Arguing with him about this would do her no good, she was sure that this back and forth was something that Sansetsu could keep up for an eternity if given the opportunity, so she decided to try a different tactic.

"Well, given that we both seem to be headed in the same direction anyway," she said, as meekly as she was capable in that moment, "do you think maybe you could stop behaving like such a brat?"

This took Sansetsu by surprise, and as much as she was certain he wanted to explode at her, she saw the recognition in his eyes, the curl of his lip as he saw he had been quickly beaten to the punch.

"A brat, huh?" he said, his voice shaking as he tried to keep it calm. She had him. She smirked openly.

"Yes," she replied simply. "Come on, Sansetsu, I get that this is probably difficult for you, but you're acting like a child." Her tone grew more serious, "and for some reason Aang still cares about what you think of him."

"Kid's an idiot," Sansetsu grumbled, looking away from her now, his posture sagging.

"No, he's not," Katara replied tersely, rubbing the bridge of her nose. When had she suddenly become the voice of reason for, not just one, but two Avatar's? "You're the only other airbender he's spent any time with since he was twelve," she explained. "Whether you like it or not, that means something to him. You can't be acting like a jealous child because he can do things that you never could."

Sansetsu turned to her, his expression angry again.

"You think that's what this is about?" he shot. "That I'm jealous?"

"Well, if not that then what?" she demanded. "Aang is able to go into the Avatar State again, he healed those spirit's, he's more ready now to face Tonrar than he's ever been ... you should be proud of him? You should be glad."

"Of course I'm glad," Sansetsu snapped. "The sooner he can face Tonrar the better for everyone, it's great that he doesn't actually need me anymore."

Katara shut her eyes. _Of course_.

"So, that's what it is, then?" she said, softly. "You're not jealous, it's just that you don't think he needs you anymore."

She opened her eyes to find Sansetsu glaring at her, his face scrunched up, but she knew that she had hit on the truth, there was too much pain and embarrassment in his eyes for her to have not done. She sighed.

"Look, I know that he can go into the Avatar State again, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't need your help-"

"As a glorified baby sitter," Sansetsu scoffed. "Keeping watch whilst you guys sleep, or not sleep as it were, got old pretty fast."

"You still know things about the Spirit World that neither of us do," Katara explained patiently, "we wouldn't have known about the Spirit of Fortune otherwise, and now that Tonrar's influence has started to spread we're going to need someone like you about."

He scoffed again, but didn't disagree with her, instead focusing his gaze on the horizon once more. She considered trying to push the point further, but ultimately it was on Sansetsu now to decide what he wanted to do, and if they woke up tomorrow to find that the past Avatar had retreated back to the city then she needed all the rest she could get now to make up for that. She got to her feet, looking down at him a little sadly, before walking back to where Aang was sleeping. It took her a long time that night before sleep finally took her, unsure of what the next day would hold for the both of them.


	26. Daughter

Innua still had not grown accustomed, or even remotely comfortable, in the situation she now found herself in, in the depths of the Spirit World, sat upon a cool grey rock as she watched the spirit that she knew to call father pace before her. He mostly ignored her, she realised, his main focus now being on the tree that stood at the very center of the large jagged clearing, between the two faintly glowing chasms in the ground, their weak beams shooting up into the clouds. In truth, he did not speak much at all now, and where she had initially welcomed that, needing to recover from the truly traumatic ordeal she had been through, now it just frightened her.

In had felt like years that she had been trapped inside of Koh, in a suffocating blackness that slowly drew all the energy and hope from her, and in time she had begun to accept that she would never escape it. Her father would not save her, Koh would not spare her, her own strength had long faded and there was no chance that she could save herself. And so, she had wallowed, drifting in and out of consciousness, screaming sparingly when the weight of the dark grew too heavy for her yet, had ultimately fading out again before long. In both her conscious and unconscious moments she had dreamed, or at least that is what she had assumed was happening. Old memories, and new, conversations that she couldn't remember having had with anybody, or perhaps that she had simply forgotten, but always she would see one of two things ... her father, or the the Avatar. She slipped between the two, sometimes they overlapped and seemed to become one person, and those were the moments she feared most, the moments that would wake her with her own screams, the moments where, had she been aware of it, her father would have to stop, curl in on himself and against the pain, until she fell asleep again. There had been a powerful connection between her and her paternal spirit, one that she had not been aware of and, now that she was free of Koh, she could not have imagined existed. Eventually, though, by some miracle, a light had broken into the darkness, a glorious warmth that touched the skin of her cheek so gently at first, and she had reached an arm out eagerly towards it, only for the miracle to become yet another source of pain in her life as it grew to a heat that was unbearable. She had screamed, turning her face to try and hide her eyes from it, feeling her cheek burn, and the skin on her arm started to bubble and boil. She had almost passed out, she was sure of that, before a coolness enclosed itself around her boiling arm, wrenching her out of the darkness with such a force that she could only cry, too weak to fight back as her whole body was pulled into the source of pain.

She had drifted in and out for days after that, the pain too intense for her to remain conscious for more than a few moments, moaning and crying incoherently. Her dreams continued, she saw her father, she saw the Avatar, she saw them become one, and she feared it. She feared her very existence.

It was during that time that her father had been most afraid. He had pulled his daughter free from Koh's control after he had finally found his own body, and it had not been easy. Koh, despite how weak he had appeared, had grown far stronger in the time that he had been in the Spirit World, and when the time came for him to finally break free of the spirit's body and reclaim his own, the battle had been far harder than he had fully anticipated. Koh had fought like a crazed, wounded beast, clawing at his own face in an effort to prevent Tonrar from escaping him, and despite the level of control that Tonrar had, it was still ebbing. He had needed the combined strength of himself, and of Innua, to keep the beast tamed, and now Innua had been inside of Koh too long. She had little to no strength remaining, and Koh could feel that. He could feel his chance to step forward and imprison Tonrar forever, and it took all that Tonrar had to escape with just his own life, let alone with his daughter's in tow. As soon as he was free, his soul wrenching out of the gaping hole in Koh's face, reaching out to grab his own empty shell, he felt Koh's grasp tighten, and he realised that although he held tight to Innua's soul, pulling her free was going to cause her intense pain, even injury. Sure enough, he had watch in horror as first her screams filled the air, Koh's claws dragging across her soul, peeling back her essence, and even as Innua finally fell free, sinking into her own body, he had seen the physical evidence of the injuries Koh had inflicted grow upon her body. The left side of her face burned suddenly, it was mild though it would certainly scar, though his biggest shock was the way her left arm seemed to bubble and boil before his very eyes, her screams now coming from her body as she recoiled and buckled on the ground, tears falling rapidly down her face before the pain grew so strong that she passed out. Tonrar had little time to focus on her in that moment, Koh was free of their control.

As expected, Koh made to flee, his talons hitting the ground hard as his body contorted, but Tonrar had his own body back, and his body was far stronger here in the Spirit World. He physically grappled the other spirit, landing on his back so that those sharp talons could not slice at him, and Koh snarled and swore, his hard body twisting under Tonrar's grip. Koh was the only other spirit that could close the tear between the world now, the only one left with any power that could help the Avatar, and he could not risk that happening. He called upon powers that had been hidden deep inside him for too long, calling to the spirits that he had left here in case he had needed them, and to his great relief they appeared around him. Men, women, children even whose souls he had long ago consumed or trapped, their spirits now the only thing that remained of them, and on his command they had worked to create a large crater in the ground, a crater into which he and Koh had fallen, him letting out a pained cry as one of those great talons finally found their mark, slicing across his cheek. But the impact of the fall, and Tonrar's weight on top of him, winded Koh for a moment, the spirit freezing with shock, and Tonrar took that moment to clear free of the crater, holding his arms out furiously as a cage of rock and ice entwined across it's surface, leaving the other spirit trapped inside, breathing heavily and painfully. Tonrar had turned to his daughter, willing his body not to collapse on the ground, but it was far too late for him to do anything to help her. Her arm had stopped burning, but what was left was a wreck, the skin red and singed, covered in blisters and deep welts. Her arm would likely be useless to her now, her beautiful face now marked, and he could only turn away from her.

Eventually Innua had woken. Her body felt painful, heavy, but she could not help but note that it was still her body. Her body, finally her own. She was no longer trapped inside of Koh, and although the pain in her arm was almost beyond what she could bear, it was a reminder that she was alive, and that her father had freed her. Her arm had been been wrapped in cloth coated in a foul smelling liquid that she did not recognise, and even as she sat up in an environment that she was not familiar, her own focus had been her arm, gently peeling back the cloth and breathing in sharply when she saw the deeply scarred flesh below. She whimpered, looking around her with mingled fear and confusion, until her eyes fell upon the tall dark spirit standing at her side, looking down at her with a soft expression, and her fear eased.

"Father?"

"You were injured," Tonrar replied simply. "You need to rest."

"But ... what happened? Where are we? Please, father-" but Tonrar seemed to wince, looking away from her, his expression dark.

"I said rest," he repeated, turning away from her and leaving her lying there, scared and in pain, as a woman came up on her other side. Innua pulled away in fear, having no idea who this woman was that held her hands out to her, until she noticed the blank look in her eyes. She was just another spirit, one of Tonrar's, who had come to tend to her wounds.

The days continued much the same, her father speaking little to her except to tell her when to eat and when to rest, the female spirit changing her dressing and cleaning her wounds. Eventually the days turned to weeks, and Innua had no better idea of where they were, or why they were there. She knew that they were in a place of great power, the presence of what she could only assume to be portals either side of them, a great humming tree at it's center that seemed to glow with a deep red light, but where he was remained a mystery. Tonrar would spend a lot of his time just staring at the tree, or pacing around it. Occasionally Koh would wake, and he would snarl and fight and crash against the side of his prison in an effort to break free, but Tonrar paid even he little heed, sometimes just scowling irritably in his direction before placing his focus back on the tree again, leaving Innua alone with her thoughts.

She was not sure what she had expected when she and Tonrar were reunited once more. She remembered the first time he had come to her so clearly, as if it had happened just the day before, and where it had once been a memory that filled her with complete bliss, she now looked back on it as a day where she could have perhaps chose differently, where she could have saved her arm, saved her sanity.

She had left the halls of Arnook's palace, internally frustrated. It had been years since Arnook had lost his daughter, Yue, and she had become the moon, yet it was still an event that weighed heavily down on the man. Things had only grown worse, however, since the death of his wife, too, and Innua was sure that it was a mistake she was going to find hard to rectify. She had poisoned Arnook's wife, like she had done her own mother, but instead of the death making Arnook's attachment to her stronger, it seemed to have only created a vast chasm between them. She had miscalculated, not something that she did often, and she was furious about it.

Now, Arnook was a weak man. A weak man who had built up walls around himself, walls that Innua had not thought would include herself. She was a talented bender, she was loved by many of her people, and Arnook had grown to see her as a surrogate daughter, raising her and giving her access to some of the very best bender's around in order to improve upon her skills. This closeness had made her as much a part of the Royal court as any of Arnook's advisors, and it was a role she had taken to with ease. The only issue, as it always seemed to be with her, was the mother. The mother of the moon spirit, who knew instinctively that Innua could not be trusted. She had tried, of course, to get on the woman's good side, but it was ultimately fruitless, and so she had been left with just one last option.

Although the war had ended some years previous, the North Pole was still experiencing it's own turmoil, caused most notably by a void in the royal family. Where as leaders in the South were still elected, the North had a much more traditional method of electing their next leaders, and with the death of Yue and the Chief and his wife having not had any other children, the question of who would take up Arnook's mantle upon his own death was one asked frequently and fervently. It had created a rift between many people living in the North, some believing that the closest living relative or Arnook, his brother, should be the one to take his place. This, in itself, offered further problems, not least of all that Arnook's brother had no children of his own, either, and wasn't much younger. Presumming that he outlived Arnook, it would only postpone the inevitable, with no valid heir to the throne. As such, many others believed that a new chief should be elected, decided upon by the people. Other's believed that Chief Arnook himself was the only one who could possibly select his successor, which in itself made the mental state of the Chief suddenly a very pressing issue. How could they entrust this choice to a heartbroken old man?

Innua had counted upon both of these possibilities ... she found Arnook's favour, and she also found the favour of her people. Surely, in this instance, she would be the logical choice to take over as Chief, regardless of what your beliefs were on the matter. But there were still some, she knew, that would stand against her. She was an orphan, the orphan to a spinster who had birthed her out of wedlock, an orphan who had no father to speak of. She had no title, no royal bloodline, she was a nobody that had somehow wormed her way into Arnook's close circle, and that was reason enough for many to not trust her. And, since the death of Arnook's wife, some had grown more suspicious of her, something that she simply could not have.

She had around her a small selection of close trusted friends, friends that knew of her desire to be Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, some of whom had their own influences over the Tribe. The most notable of which was none other than General Hanh, and his story had become that of legend over the last few years, though only she a handful of others knew the full truth behind it. Hanh was famous as the betrothed of the late Yue, the Moon Spirit, and although Yue had died before they could be married, that title held a great deal of weight still among the people, and to Arnook. Though Innua was certain that, had Yue survived Zhao's siege all those years ago, the Chief may well have changed his mind on who he would allow to marry his daughter, Hanh was still a vestigial link to his daughter that he could not let go. Hanh had bravely faced the great Admiral Zhao one-on-one, and he had told those that had found him, washed up on the shores of the city, that what had followed had been a long bloody battle that Zhao had only won on account of Hanh being out-numbered. Innua knew this was nonsense, but it worked in her favour for Hanh to become such a revered war hero, and General, and so she had said no more on the subject. Hanh accompanied her most everywhere, and with it came more whispers and rumours, rumours that she had done nothing to dispel. Hanh had not proposed, of course, and romantically they were not involved, but the whispers that they were to be engaged would not stop spreading anyway. It would work in her favour, she knew, to actually be engaged to the man. She knew well enough to know that betrothal was a powerful thing in the Water Tribes.

Kaneq, though not officially recognized with a title, was a famed warrior among their people. Whilst waterbending was an important part of the Northern culture, non-bender warriors still held a lot of influence and were revered among the common folk, and Kaneq was one of the best. In fact, he was said to be the best, after Hanh, though of course Innua alone was fully aware that Kaneq would easily slaughter Hanh in a one-on-one battle. Getting Kaneq on her side had been easy ... like many bachelor warriors in the North, he was easily swayed by a pretty face, and her face was one of the greatest. A single kiss from her, and an unworded promise that should he help her there may be much more than just a kiss in his future, and he was hers.

But where Hanh and Kaneq followed her blindly, there was one other that stood by her side throughout the years, and their relationship had always been more difficult. Perhaps it was because, of the three of them, he was the only one that she felt any degree of affection towards. Kanto had his own tragic background, one that would come to the surface on occasions, but that also had created a bond between the pair of the them that Innua was not beyond using. Kanto was son to a great warrior in their Tribe, who had died just a year earlier. But it was not a fact that brought him any pride. Kanto's father had been a cruel man after Kanto's mother died, and Innua was the only person who knew that he had beat his son often, perhaps in a misplaced effort to teach him strength, though more likely in a drunken rage. She knew for certain that the beating's had continued right up until the time of his father's death, something that she had never fully understood. Kanto was not a small man, and by the time he was eighteen his father had come down with a sickness that would ravage his body, leaving him weak. Kanto could have stopped him at any point, but his father still held a gruesome power over his son that he wielded with reckless abandon, and at the time of the funeral Kanto had stood with dead eyes and a freshly broken nose, whilst the people around him had wept.

Long before that stage, however, Kanto and Innua had grown to know one another. They were just kids when Kanto first came into her life, a small body with tears running down his bruised cheeks, so frail and so frightened looking, as her mother healed him. Her mother knew well of what was happening in Kanto's home life, but she had no power to stop it. Though she was a healer, and a talented one, she held no respect among the common folk of the North. She was called a whore, a spinster, she was spat at in the street and she would wake to find fish guts thrown against her front door, but to Kanto she was just the nice lady who had took pity on him one day, bringing him into her home so that she could heal the fresh grazes on his knees. Innua remembered peering around the doorway of their home, looking at the little boy as he rubbed his eyes, the tiniest smile on his face as he looked up at Kunika, her mother, and she remembered that it had bothered her greatly. Her mother was hers. Why should she let a little brat like this wade in and steal her affections? But to her great dislike, Kanto had come back again, and again, sometimes just to visit, sometimes with fresh wounds that needed attention, and Innua had felt her rage growing. It all came to a head one day when she came home to find her mother and Kanto sitting together at the table, she talking him through the different herbs that she had placed out before them, explaining what they were for. She had stormed in, her hands on her hips, as her eyes had blazed at the pair of them.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. She was only twelve years old at the time, Kanto a year younger, but she exuded such a natural strength that Kanto found he only felt afraid of her. "Why are you teaching him this stuff? You've not taught me any of this! I want him to leave, now!"

Kunika had looked up at her daughter, a tired expression on her face.

"Darling," she said quietly, "I have asked you before if you wanted to learn healing, but you always say no."

"Because healing is a waste of time," Innua hissed in response. "Only the pathetic women of the Tribe learn to heal."

"All of the women learn to heal, darling," Kunika countered, her smile pained and measured. She was well used to Innua's temper, but it had only grown far worse as the years went by, and frankly it frightened her. She knew well who her father was, though she had told not a soul.

"Exactly," Innua spat back. "All the women of this Tribe are weak, and pathetic. Why would you teach him? He's a boy, and boy's already get enough." Though she was just twelve, she knew enough of the world, and of the Northern traditions, to understand that privilege that Kanto was offered by being born male, and son of a favoured warrior, where as she the female bastard daughter of a lowly healer. What she did not understand, however, was that Kanto was oppressed in his own right, and that he was just as in need of Kunika's attentions and affections as her daughter was, perhaps even more so. Kanto had looked frightened, his lower lip trembling as he made to leave the house, but Kunika had placed a hand atop his, keeping him where he was sat.

"Innua, Kanto has as much right to learn the art of healing as you do," she replied. "He wants to learn, whereas you do not, it is my duty as a healer and a woman, to teach him all that I can."

Innua had not understood, and she had stormed from the room, but she could not deny her curiosity surrounding Kanto after that day, and she began to spend longer and longer around him, before eventually she hung around with him outside of the home too. Kanto became just about as close to a friend as it was possible for Innua to have, and though she knew that he still feared her, deep down, he still followed her where she asked. This loyalty to her would prove to be invaluable to her as the years went by as, even after she murdered her own mother, Kanto remained at her side. She was never totally sure whether Kanto suspected her or not, if he did he never said anything about it, and even when she moved into the Palace, standing so often at Arnook's side, Kanto was there, watching her back and listening to her thoughts.

Today, as she stalked from the Palace, her hands curled into fists and her mood sour, she found herself alone. It was at her request, of course, neither Hanh, Kaneq or Kanto made a habit of letting her walk completely unattended, but she desired solitude. Chief Arnook, the stupid old fool, had refused to make any decision regarding his successor, despite the question becoming a matter of burning urgency in later years. The Avatar and the Firelord were taking great steps in the Fire and Earth Kingdom, and Arnook's inability to lead on account of the deep depression he seemed to be suffering was leaving them behind. It infuriated her. She had seen first hand the power of the Avatar ... had seen him join with the Ocean Spirit and smite an entire Fire Nation navy, and such a sight had filled her heart with wonder and inspiration. She had always felt an unusual pull to the spirits, a familiarity in her heart that, on a full moon, would plague her. She knew that all the waterbenders felt something under the full moon, their powers greater, but she felt pain. It hurt her, her entire body, like she was being split down the middle, and she could not understand it. Why were the spirits pulling at her, if that's what they were doing? Why did she feel so uncomfortable, deep down, at human contact? She was an attractive woman, she had many suitors, and she had indulged some, but she had never felt the fulfillment that she had been promised at their hands. Something was missing in her life, something huge, and it was that that had lead her to chase the position of Chief. Yet, as time went by, even that had started to feel hollow to her. Most of her anger was aimed at Arnook's pathetic actions, not the additional hardships it placed on her journey to Chieftain. Today had been no exception. The full moon was tonight, and her skin and soul itched in anticipation. It was perhaps the worst kept secret in the entire of the North that the full moon was often a night for passion and indulgence; lovers met and loved, battles were fought and lost, drunks would wander, and the people of the North sought one another out on these nights, but she ached only for solitude. She needed to be alone, so that she could curl up against the pain and stare at the moon. She reasoned that she would feel better tomorrow, once the full moon had passed.

That night, however, as she lay in her bed, fully dressed and unable to sleep, she found that her home was the last place that she could tolerate to be. She lived in the Palace grounds, her own home that Arnook had gifted to her a few years previous, and usually it offered her the privacy that she desired. Tonight, however, the passion of the full moon had brought a pair of lovers to the bridge her home overlooked, and she could hear every damn word on their love-struck lips. She growled, scowling as they plead their love and their loyalties, whispering sweet nothings, until she found she could even heard the sound of their lips meeting, the vulgar wet sound filling her with a rage deeper than she thought possible. She sat up, her hands reaching for her window, ready to scream at them and scare them away, but she fought back. No, she wanted their love and their respect. It would not do her good to be seen this way. Not tonight of all night's. And so, she slipped from her home, throwing a dark glare in the direction of the two lover's as they pressed their lips together, and headed towards the only other place she knew that she could find peace. The Oasis.

When she arrived she was pleased to see that it remained empty. People rarely visited the Oasis, some were not even aware of it's existence, but if they did it was most often on the full moon, brought their by the call of the Moon and Ocean spirits that swum in the pond at it's center. She felt peace here, like being so close to the spirit's offered her a small taste of what it might feel like to be completed, to find what it was inside of her that was missing, and gratefully she sat down on the grass in front of the pond, watching the spirit's continue their dance beside one another, ying and yang, perfectly balanced, perfectly ... complete.

"How can I find what you have?" she breathed. "You know who are you, your purpose ... there is no part of your souls that are missing." The spirit's continued to swim, paying her no heed. A frown came to her face as she propped her face up with her hand, rested on her knee.

"A don't tell me it's love, or something as ridiculous as that," she growled. "Though I suppose that's all you have, right? Each other?"

She leaned back on her hands, looking up at the sky now, the moon shining directly above them, the silver light filling the Oasis and reflecting perfectly across the round pond at the center.

"So, if not that, what is it that's missing? Why do I continue to feel so unfulfilled?"

"It is because a part of you has remained a mystery to you," came a voice from behind of her, and she started, her bending instincts hitting hard and fast as she was on her feet and pulling a whip of water from the pool in a matter of seconds, her face set and intimidating as she glared at the man who had snuck up on her, before her eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips. It was not a man, after all, not strictly. He was tall, his skin as dark as her own, dressed in a long black cloak that pooled at his feet, almost ethereal in appearance. Upon his bare arms dark red scratches like scars crossed across them, upon his bald head a series of tattoos that she did not recognize, and below them two bright red eyes appraised her. But what took her focus, more than anything, was his smile. Soft, paternal ... comforting. She felt at ease in spite of herself, the water dropping back into the pool as she stood herself straight, looking back at him.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And what do you know about me?"

It was the obvious question, she thought, and she found she had far more interest in the answer to the second than she did the first. The spirit, if that is what he was, seemed to take a deep breath, his eyes drinking her in from head to toe. It would have been uncomfortable, she thought, if any man were to eye her so completely like that, but somehow his gaze felt different. It didn't feel like he was looking at her like a man would a woman, but like someone would enjoy a painting that they had just completed.

"My name is Tonrar," the spirit replied. Her eyebrows rose a fraction at this. She had heard stories of this spirit, stories from long ago, back when he had been a spirit that ventured into their world at times. There were horror stories surrounding him, stories of kidnapping, of manipulation, and she had always learned of him as a spirit to be feared in the North. But she felt she did fear him at all.

"And I know a great deal about you," he continued, his smile only widening.

"Why?" Innua asked. "Why would you possibly want to know anything about me?"

"Because you are mine," Tonrar replied simply. She should have shivered, she should have run, she certainly should not have approached any spirit that spoke in this way, but approach him she did, taking two small steps closer.

"What do you mean?"

"First, I have a question for you," he interrupted. "Why did you kill your mother?" There was, should she allow herself to hear it, a hint of sadness in his voice at this, but she immediately felt the urge to protect herself. No one knew of what had really happened to Kunika, no one had even thought to guess, no one until this spirit. Her nostrils flared, and her hands rose protectively again, ready to bend the water from the pool in a moment's notice.

"I did no such thing," she hissed, her cerulean eyes glaring into his. Tonrar's smile faded.

"I'd rather you didn't lie to me, Innua," he said softly. "You killed her, that is fact. Now, tell me why. Your mother was beautiful, and she was kind, was she not? Why would you take her life?"

For a moment, she did not know how to respond. She had never said it, now out loud. Her mouth had never formed the words, and yet she felt herself compelled to. To admit her deepest, darkest secret in front of a spirit that she had just met.

"Yes, I killed her," she said, at last, and she noted how her voice didn't falter, and the relief that spread through her body at finally admitting it to someone. "I killed her because she was holding me back."

Tonrar smiled then, a grin breaking through the sadness that touched at the corners, and it was a smile full of pride.

"So, you are not afraid then? To make the hard choices? To do the impossible tasks?"

"I have never been afraid," she whispered back to him, the Oasis so quiet that her voice still carried over to him. "I will never be afraid."

"Good girl," Tonrar replied. She swallowed, in her heart she felt that somehow she should know who this spirit was, why he seemed to enraptured by her, but the truth was still out of her reach, slipping from her fingertips each time they made contact.

"Now, answer my question," she said. "You said I am yours. What do you mean by this, spirit?"

The spirit seemed to hesitate for the first time, a shadow of doubt seeming to flicker in his eyes, before he took a defiant step towards her, his hands reaching out, touching her cheek. They were cold, she realised, so very cold, but somehow that didn't seem to matter, as she felt her heart swell at the touch and a warmth fill her heart. It was like what she felt when she looked at the spirit's, only far greater, and unbidden tears fell from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks and onto his hand as he only smiled wider.

"You are my daughter," he said. "And the North is not enough for you. There has never been a single creature in this world, or the other, that could hope to be half as powerful as you. You will be the beautiful queen of this world, as I rule the other."

Her tears had continue to fall, and it had all made sense. All of it, every single part. She did not doubt that the spirit was her father, she did not doubt the words he spoke, and from that point her entire world had changed forever.

However, there one time came a full moon where her father did not visit her. She knew well of what was going on between Tonrar and the Avatar, for he had told her. Despite witnessing first hand the Avatar's abilities, she had never for a moment doubted that Tonrar would be more powerful, that he would defeat the Avatar, that he would take this world for his own. That he would open a portal between this world and Tonrar's, and that together they would rule it. It had not occurred to her until that night that he did not come, and she had sat by the pond, watching the koi swim in unison, and incredible pain in her chest.

But now, as she sat on the cold hard rock in the Spirit World, watching her father pace as her useless arm hung limp at her side, she felt doubt. She felt so much of it. He had wanted her to be queen, yet here she sat, injured, ignored, as he focused all of his energy on a glowing tree. It hurt her, if she had not already cried so much after the past few weeks, months, however long it had been, she was sure that she would be sobbing now, begging for her father to look at her. Begging him to make her feel complete again, to promise her the world ... but he did nothing.

Eventually, the hours passing as they always did, Innua found that she had the strength and no longer the patience to wait on him, to wait for him to notice her. She needed answers.

"Father," she called, hesitantly, her voice small. Tonrar had heard her, that she knew. His body seemed to stiffen, his shoulders angled sharply as he seemed to resolve not to acknowledge her.

"Father," she repeated. "Please, talk to me."

"Do not call me that," Tonrar replied shortly, not turning to look at her. She winced, her heart shattering, and not for the first time she was afraid.

"But, that is who you are," she said, her voicing shaking yet determined. "Once you were proud of that. You were proud of me. Are you not still proud? Have ... did I do something wrong?"

It was too much to ask at once, she knew that, but she found once she started speaking she could not stop, her heart hammering in the region of her throat, sweat beginning to drop down her temple. At first, Tonrar did not respond, his back still to her until, achingly, wonderfully, he looked at her. Her breath caught in her throat and she dared to hope, his expression not angry, not disappointed, but sad. She saw his gaze drop to her arm, and she finally understood the real reason behind his despair, why he would not look at her. She shook her head, eyes wide and pleading.

"No," she all but whimpered, reaching as if to cover her arm, "please, I know that it might appear that this weakens me but ... it doesn't! I am still strong! I can still fight!"

This, more than anything, seemed to finally break Tonrar's resolve, and he blinked rapidly, as if fighting back an emotion that he was not familiar with. He finally walked towards her, stopping just a few feet from her, his red eyes meeting her blue ones.

"I have never told you the circumstances surrounding your birth," he said, quietly. She blinked, confused, desperate.

"No."

"Have you never wondered?"

She breathed in sharply. In truth, she had not wondered, she had not even questioned. He was an all powerful spirit, and though her mother was weak she had also been quite beautiful, why would he not have taken what he wanted from her? From any human? The truth, she had realised long ago, was not important. It did not change how she had felt about her mother, and it certainly had not changed how she felt about her father. And so, she shook her head, being as honest with him as she could. He seemed surprised at this, his brow narrowing just a fraction.

"I met your mother over twenty years ago," he said. "The Avatar had been gone for almost one hundred years, and it had been even longer still since I had last stepped foot in the mortal world, it seemed as though it was finally safe for me to cross over, to spend the Solstice in the North as I had often done many thousands of years back."

Innua said nothing, staying where she sat, her eyes anxiously darting between each of his.

"The world was a very different place from when I had last visited," Tonrar continued, "and I, a very different spirit. You see, the more souls I consumed, the more spirit's I punished, and the longer I spent with just them for company, the more emotions I began to feel. I came into the world then as a spirit capable of so much more than I had once been. More human perhaps, than I had once been."

"I don't understand," Innua interrupted in a quiet voice, now feeling dubious. This did not sound like the all powerful spirit she had become to believe her father to be. This sounded almost like Avatar stuff.

"You will," Tonrar assured, remaining where he stood. "When I arrived in the Oasis, when I walked among the people of the North, I learned more of the war that had consumed the entire world for the better part of one hundred years. I learned, too, of the genocide of the airbenders, something that I freely admit shocked me. The human's had feared the spirit's for so long, and yet it had been themselves that had proved their greatest fall ... the spirit's had no part to play in that war."

He took a deep breath, as he began his story.

"I met your mother soon after I crossed into your world ..."

 **A/N: Sorry to cut it here, folks, but this was turning into a long ass chapter. I can't wait to finally share this tale with you all. The next update will be soon.**


	27. Kunika

**Tonrar**

It was a Solstice night just like any of the others, the line between the Spirit and the mortal world at it's finest, the influence of the Spirit World at it's strongest, and it was on this night that one of the most ancient spirit's of the earth's history stepped foot in the mortal realm for the first time in a thousand years. He breathed in the scent of the place, a scent that was so achingly familiar to him, fresher than anything that could be smelled in the Spirit World, as he looked at the Oasis in the North. It was beautiful, just as he remembered, and with a smile across his wide lips he stepped up to and looked down into the pool at it's center. Tui and La swam as they always had, paying him no heed as he watched them, his head cocked almost curiously.

"You have little idea quite how lucky you both are, you know," he said, with a short laugh. "Quite frankly it makes me feel sick." He nonchalantly kicked dirt into the pool, causing the fish to flee for a moment, before they continued the same dance they had danced for many lifetimes. When the water settled, he looked down at his reflection, considering for a moment before his appearance slowly started to transform. His spirit marks, though they still remained, were now fainter and covered by long dark hair that hung about his shoulders, and his eyes, previously a deep red, now shone a marvelous blue. Satisfied, he pulled his cloak tight about him before eyeing the concealed entrance to the Oasis, ducking through and taking his first step out into the city.

The Northern Water Tribe was a far different place than he remembered. It had grown, incredibly so. What had once been a selection of small villages dotted here and there how now grown into a city of huge proportions, both elegant and functional, and he was momentarily surprised. Of course, there was always going to be a lot of progress to be had in a thousand years, but it was such a stark change that he was left feeling dizzy for a moment, before he was able to gather himself once more. He was jogged from his thoughts by a man walking past him, accidentally brushing his shoulder and apologising as he went. Tonrar smiled, something about that act amusing him.

He continued to walk, eyes roaming the highs and lows of the city, the new skyline, the network of canals beneath his feet that had allowed for the city to grow without ever being far from water. _Water_ , it held such importance to this race, and it's influence was visible everywhere. From the insignia across virtually every surface, to the way the people used the water to go about their day-to-day business, and the masters training in the large courtyards that dotted the entire city. Water was everywhere, and though he personally was unable to bend any of the elements, he found that he felt almost comfortable among it. He stopped for a moment to admire a class taking place, the master, a man named Pakku from what he could make out, was training twelve very keen and very talented young male benders, his movements calculated and precise. He supposed, for a brief moment, that being able to control an element, must be a far better feeling than being able to control the movements and mind of a spirit. A bitter smile came to his lips before he turned on his heel, continuing his slow walk about the city.

It did not take him long to realise that he was being tailed. It wasn't unusual, in itself, he was a stranger here and sooner or later someone would realise that they had no idea who he was. But what was strange was the urgency with which the individual tailed him. He knew that there was a war happening in the mortal realm, and though he had paid it very little heed in the past one hundred years, he could not deny the effects that it had in the North. Though it seemed that the North itself had remained almost neutral in the war, there was still the constant threat of the Fire Nation arriving at their shores, and the result of which was an awful lot of military personnel to be spotted. Yet, it was not any of them that had clocked him, or who were tailing him, but a small woman. He supposed she must have thought him Fire Nation, in which case she was tailing a potentially dangerous individual who would likely kill her in order to prevent his identity being made public. She was either stupid or brave, or quite possibly both.

Eventually, when it became clear that the woman would not tire of watching him, he decided to allow her to catch up with him, turning down an empty corridor before flattening himself against the wall. Sure enough, the woman came soon after, his eyes searching, before he stepped forward suddenly, a smile on his face.

"You've been following me," he said, with some amusement as he took in the horror on her face.

"Well, you've been acting suspicious," she countered, almost immediately. His eyebrows rose, and his smile turned to a grin. She was, he supposed, a highly attractive woman. Short, yes, but her features were astounding none-the-less. Her eyes, a vivid shade of blue, stood out below her dark braided hair, and looked back at him with a ferocity he could not fail to find intriguing.

"I wouldn't say that," he replied. "I've just been walking. Or is that what constitutes to suspicious behaviour around these parts these days?"

She looked confused for a moment, as if trying to search for a hidden meaning in his words, before she raised her chin.

"A stranger walking around the city, taking an awful lot of interest in our bending lessons, definitely constitutes as suspicious these days, yes," she said. "Either you are Fire Nation, or you are a Fire Nation spy, either way you need to come with me."

"You are much smaller and much weaker than myself," Tonrar said. "I cannot imagine a scenario where you can force me to do that."

"Then I can scream," the woman said fiercely, "until some of the men take notice. You may be stronger than me, but you are not stronger than our men."

"That's an awful big assumption to make. But I'd rather you didn't scream, if it's all the same to you. And I'd rather not spend my only day here in the city in a prison cell."

"Your only day?" the woman repeated. And he realised too late that his words had sounded clearly like a threat, almost certainly like he was a spy, and he watched as she took a deep breath, opening her mouth to scream. In an instance he shot forward, his hand reaching out to clamp around her mouth as her eyes widened in shock, his face suddenly close to hers.

"I did ask politely," Tonrar said in a low voice. The woman seemed frozen in fear. His hands were so cold, like they were made from ice themselves, and up close she could see that there was something very wrong with his face. His mouth, all smiles from afar, seemed to stretch across the entire width of his face, and she noted the pointed teeth just visible beneath his lips. His eyes, though blue, were the sort of blue that a child would pick up to paint a sky with, and upon his forehead she could just make out patterns seemingly carved into his skin. He was not Fire Nation, of that she was now certain.

Tonrar saw the way her eyes darted across his face, and he let out a small sad sigh. He had not intended to take any humans back with him to the Spirit World ... this had just been a visit. But if this human had realised that he was spirit, then there was risk that she would tell others. And if she told others, how long before the a certain spirit caught wind of the fact that he had visited the mortal realm. He looked into the woman's eyes, noting that they were something quite fascinating. He could see the darker ring around her blue iris, her soft dark lashes shifting slightly in the breeze. This would be a shame. A huge shame indeed.

He let go of her mouth, but not before he placed a hand around the back of her neck, keeping her in place.

"You're not human, are you?" she breathed. Internally Tonrar scolded himself. He would need a better disguise for next time.

"I'm not," he replied honestly. There was no reason to lie to the woman, her time left in this world was going to be short, after all. "It really is a shame that you noticed."

"Why have you come here?" she asked. She sounded more curious than frightened now, something that he noted with interest.

"To see the sights," he replied, with honesty. "The Solstice also offers us spirit's a chance to walk freely in your world, and it is so very different from our own."

"Are you ... are you serious?" she asked, her expression dumbfounded. "You're just here to see the sights?"

Tonrar hesitated, cocking his head to one side as he shrugged. At that, the woman just laughed, her face lighting up as she laughed so hard she bent double, clutching at her stomach. Tonrar looked at her in complete shock, his arms held out almost protectively in front of them.

"Wh-what is so funny?" he managed, finally, as she stood upright once more, wiping a tear from her cheeks.

"It's just ... first I thought you were a Fire Nation spy, then some big dangerous spirit, and it turns out you're just a tourist!"

His mouth set almost irritably at this, watching her as she then flashed a brilliant smile in his direction. But what surprised him most was the way a smile of his own tugged at his lips at the sight. Suddenly, she stepped forward and boldly interlocked her arm with his.

"Then come along, great spirit!" she announced, holding her other arm out before them in gesture. "Let me show you the sights!"

"I'm not sure I agree to this," Tonrar muttered, but she only pressed his arm tighter against her.

"Then smite me, I suppose," she said with a grin, and somewhat dazed Tonrar found himself walking with her, arm in arm with the strange human woman as she launched into a detailed description of the streets they walked on.

For some time, he did not speak, still a little shocked at how willing he was to walk with her. Her voice and face were animated as she talked, speaking of the great history behind the city, and he found himself far more interested in this than he had originally expected himself to be. He had visited the North for millennia, and he assumed that he knew all that he could about the place, but he realised that he had long neglected to learn the history of the people of this place, the ways their lives entangled, and how their cultures differed even from those in the South. But what he realised, more than anything, was that he was content to hear anything so long as she was the one that spoke it.

"The healing huts are lead by women, of course," the woman said, as they passed the largest in the city. "The female benders in the North are forbidden from learning waterbending ... a traditional passed down for centuries by countless boring old men. Instead, we are taught to use our abilities to heal. Something about women being naturally more emotional, and more caring, and not as strong as the men. If you ask me, it's simply because the men are already fearful enough to face a woman when she is angry, let alone a woman who is angry and who can literally freeze him on the spot."

Tonrar had laughed at this, taking both himself and the woman by surprise. She looked up at him, the corner of her eyes creasing with delight.

"I wasn't sure whether you spirit's could laugh," she said, her voice low enough so that only he could hear her. "It's far nicer a sound than I was expecting. Can I ask ..." she paused, seeming nervous again for the first time since she had first come across him, "what is your name?"

"If I told you that then I am afraid you may change your mind about showing me around," Tonrar replied honestly. She frowned.

"Please, I am a single woman in a city ruled by men, in the middle of a war started by men. I hardly doubt any name you give me will fill me with any fear greater than the one installed by my current situation."

He considered her for a moment, and realised that he was willing to test this theory. She was unlike other human's he had met, after all.

"My name is Tonrar."

If she recognised the name, it was only evident by the briefest widening of her eyes before she smiled up at him once more. "Tonrar," she repeated. "Good to meet you, Tonrar. My name is Kunika."

"The pleasure is all mine," Tonrar replied, and he found that he was entirely truthful about that. With another gentle tug she began to lead him further into the city, speaking animatedly again.

Soon, their little trip had taken them away from the Palace and the center of the city, and to the outskirts, where the houses began to grow smaller, and it was clear that the pockets of the people that lived here did not stretch quite so deep.

"This is where I and most of us common folk live," she said, seeing his curious look at the homes here, and the people that lived in them. "I know it may not seem like much, but I promise you that the most beautiful view in the entire of the city can be found just out here."

"What is the view of?" Tonrar asked, and she just smiled at him.

"Oh, it's worth the walk, trust me."

She dropped his arm, and this time she took his hand. He saw her wince momentarily at the chill of them, and he wondered at the warmth at hers, not arguing as she started to drag him away again. The sensation in his chest was curious, curious yet ... he knew of it. For he had felt it so many times in so many humans as he tore their spirits from their chests. He felt, against all logical reason, an attachment to this woman. He found that he enjoyed her company, and the feeling that came with knowing that she smiled because of him. In any ordinary situation he would have perhaps been much more alarmed by this than he found he was. He should not be feeling this way towards anything, let alone a human, and yet he found himself willing to go anywhere with her if it meant that she would continue to smile. Her happiness, suddenly, became a concern for him. And far from shy away from the warmth in her hand, he felt himself wanting to feel that warmth in both of his. She looked back at him, her eyes sparkling in the low light, reflecting the lamps and torches outside of the homes that they passed, and he could only blink. Why was it that he could only think to compare them to the Oasis?

Eventually, they reached their destination, she pulling him up a narrow flight of stairs up the side of a tall building. It was old, in much need of repair, comprising of several different sections that sat impossibly close together. It was up several flights of stairs that she dragged him, spiraling around the external of the building, before she finally stopped outside of a door, looking at him with excitement. He raised an eyebrow.

"I can't say I'm especially impressed," he said. "I've seen better doors."

"It's not the door we're here for," she said, rolling her eyes, "it's what's behind it."

She reached into her pockets, before inserting a key into the lock, a simple click filling the air before she turned the handle.

"Most people living here think that the key was lost long ago," she said, her voice low, "but I found it. I will share it with the rest of them one day, of course." She looked back at him, her cheeks reddening. "But, honestly, I'd kinda like to keep this all to myself for a little while longer, you know?"

"I don't," Tonrar replied, honestly again. But he followed her anyway, as she led him through the door. A small corridor lay ahead of them, entirely dull looking and he wondered what it was, exactly what could possibly be worth all of the fuss and all of the walking. That was until she led him out of the corridor, through a door on the left, and into what, for all accounts could have been a haven on earth. It's beauty matched the Oasis, a large open balcony nestled on the top of the building, between two tall walls. Plants grew up these walls, their branches clinging to the stone, climbing up high above them and adorned with the most fascinting flowers he had ever seen, their petals perfectly reflecting the moon light that came down on them, seeming to shimmer and dance under her light. The shimmer, he realised was a light sprinkling of dust that rose from them each time the breeze touched them, and each time the dust rose a glorious scent reached him, sweet and strong. The ground itself was adorned with soft, plush grasses, and he noticed a cushion placed there, no doubt for the times that Kunika had come here, and he found himself wanting to reach out and touch the soft grass underfoot, to see just what it felt like. He felt another gentle tug on his hand, and he looked down to see Kunika gesturing to the view from the front of the balcony, and he was near blown away once more. The entire city could be seen from here, the lights in the distance Palace, and the ocean beyond that. She was right, he realised, it had been worth the walk.

"So, what do you think?" Kunika asked, and he realised that she sounded nervous, her smile fading just a touch as she looked up at him.

"It is quite beautiful," he agreed, taking in the view of the city, allowing the smile to grace his lips as he breathed in the sweet aromas. His biggest mistake, however, was when he glanced back down at her, and he felt a jolt in his heart that he had never felt before, an ache in his lungs as his breath was knocked clear out of them. She, too, was taking in the view, her bright blue eyes reflecting the city, the moon kissing against her soft skin and lips, her braid somehow already sprinkled with some of the pollen. One of the many great tragedies of being an immortal spirit having lived for thousands of years was that the world finally ceased to surprise you, but it surprised him tonight, and how found himself wondering what her skin might feel like, whether her cheeks were soft or hard, whether her hair was as warm as her hands. He'd spent more time around humans than perhaps most spirits, and he thought that offered him a greater understanding of him than most, but he realised as he looked down at her that in reality he knew very little of them. And that he wanted to know more.

Kunika looked up at him, a passing gesture at first as if to see what he was enjoying himself, only to find that her smiled faded at how intensely the spirit seemed to be studying her, and she felt a shiver run through her, as if her skin prickled with his gaze.

"I know who you are," she said, and Tonrar remained silent, examining the way her mouth tightened. "Every child here in the North has heard stories of a dark spirit that would kidnap people, although usually they're told in order to keep the children well behaved."

"Is that so?" Tonrar hummed. He was not surprised, he'd been visiting the North for long enough now.

"I suppose you plan to kidnap me, too?"

She said it so casually, like she had already accepted this as fact yet, and he frowned.

"You don't seem to be too concerned about that."

She smiled sadly, looking back to the city, and he was struck yet again as the light reflected in her eyes, and his heart beat hard. It was a feeling he found both exhilarating yet terrifying, and as much as he wished for it to pass, a small part of him held onto it anyway.

"I'm tired of this city," she admitted, rubbing her arms. "I'm tired of this world." She threw him a half glance over her shoulder, her smile sad. "I suppose being whisked off to the Spirit World isn't such a bad thing."

"You only say this because you don't know what actually happens to the humans I have taken in the past," Tonrar replied, and for a moment he wondered why he was being so honest with her. Perhaps he hoped to see fear in her eyes, something to remind him that she was just another human, that what he was feeling couldn't possible be anything other than anticipation at taking his first soul in close to a thousand years, but to his dismay she showed none of it.

"I'm not sure it changes my mind about this place, one way or another," she sighed. And then, to his shock, a tear fell down her cheek, splashing down onto the grass at their feet, and he was completely unable to stop his hand reaching out, a thumb rubbing the remnant of the tear away. It felt ... he wasn't sure how it felt, only that he wanted very much to place his other hand on her face and feel her warm him again. She turned to face him, her eyes half lidded and glazed as if she had fully accepted her fate, no doubt waiting for the moment where he would do what he had come here to do. She shut her eyes, and the pain in his chest grew almost unbearable as he realised that she was waiting for him to hurt her, take her soul, kill her, or whatever it was that he had done to the humans of the past. But what hurt him most of all was the realisation that he didn't want to do any of these things to her, she was more human than any other human he had met, and he had no right to take her away from this world.

When he pressed his lips onto hers, she didn't recoil, though the catch of her breath was enough of an indication that she was surprised. In the many years to come, he would ponder over this moment and wonder what it was that finally compelled him to kiss her. He could argue that it was a case of curiosity, that perhaps the pollen in the air around them was potent enough to affect even a spirit, but the harsh reality was that he was broken. He had spent many lifetimes affected by the humans that he consumed, feeling their emotions, seeing their struggles, and the more he consumed the more he felt those emotions himself. He had kissed her, he realised, because he had wanted to. Because he wanted to feel these human emotions.

The kiss swiftly evolved into something much more. Perhaps her own deep seated internal misery was what drove her to kiss him back so fervently, keen to find feeling in anything that she could hold onto. After all, his body was cold, his chest hard and unforgiving beneath her fingertips, this was not the sort of body that she had found comfort in in the past. But the very fact that he was different, so very different from anyone else who had touched her seemed to be enough for her. She reached her hands up around his shoulders, pulling her body close to his, relishing the feel of his cold hands on the side of her face.

Though Tonrar was a spirit, he was not so naive as to not know of the intimate acts that took place between humans. In fact, a great many spirit's before him, though they had shared the body of a human at the time, had been a part of this very act, and he had seen it become the very source of their destruction. They had craved this intimacy, something that they were not able to do in their own forms, and the constant searching for a relationship with as much meaning as what the humans had with one another could very well drive a spirit to madness. He was dimly aware that this could be his first step into madness as well, but he was no more immune to the call of attachment than any other spirit. Now that he allowed himself to partake in her, to feel her warmth beneath his fingertips, to acknowledge how alive yet how fragile she was, he knew that he had no hope of resurfacing. He longed for it, that connection that he was doomed to never find as a spirit, and as his hands sought more of her warmth, pulling her clothing aside, any further knowledge of his actions was lost.

It was not love, he knew that as much. He did not love her, and she did not love him, but they were both individuals lost at sea, and he was captivated by her. Every little sound that came from her lips, every drop of moisture that formed on her skin, the warmth of her breath. Though he knew his hands were likely freezing against her, she did not shy away from him, allowing him to explore her, encouraging it even, and he realised that she was just as lost as he was. Perhaps it was the pollen, he mused, as his head grew light, placing her body on the soft grass beneath him, or perhaps he was simply enchanted.

"What do you really look like?" she breathed, and he was compelled to oblige her, dropping his disguise, his eyes shining vivid red in the darkness, she raising her hands to caress his bald head and the deep welts upon them as if they were the most luxurious things she had ever felt,. He kissed her again, seeking yet more of her body heat, before he felt her guide himself into her.

He was cold inside of her, she realised, the sensation pulling a pained gasp from her, and for the first time she felt discomfort in their actions as she realised with such utter clarity in that moment that he was not human. But he seemed to wait patiently for her, his red eyes taking in every detail, before she arched her back and asked more from him. She panted, whilst he remained somewhat still above her, his interest lying in the expressions on her face and the way she moved beneath him. Even after she reached her climax, shivering against him, the only indication that he had felt anything was the sudden ragged gasp from his mouth, his red eyes shutting for a brief moment, yet more cold invading her body. And as much as she was certain the experience should have felt empty to her, she felt somehow more alive than she had ever done in her life.

It was definitely the pollen that helped coax her into sleep soon after, her body curling up on the grass, indifferent to the fact that she remained naked under the light of the moon. But Tonrar was able to resist it's influence, instead sitting at her side, a crease across his brow as he thought about what had just happened. He should feel angry, he realised, perhaps disgusted. He had spent his very long lifetime punishing humans under the Avatar's rule, both hating and envying them, and yet here he sat having just lay with one. The only coherent thought he had, the only one that made any sense, was that she was both very beautiful, yet so fragile, and a part of him found he did not want to leave her lying there alone under Yui's gaze. But, the Solstice was coming to an end, and if he did not return now it would be a long time before he could go back to the Spirit World. And so, he draped her parka over her, leaning over and pressing a kiss against her temple as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and leaving.

When Kunika woke the next morning, she would try at first to convince herself that it had just been a dream, but the memories would not fade from her mind's eye. She had looked for him, briefly, but knowing the Solstice had passed she expected not to see him again. As the weeks passed she felt more certain that it had been a dream, after all how could something like that have happened to her? She had been high, perhaps, the pollen had been potent that night, but then as for the second month running her bleed did not arrive and her smooth stomach began to change shape, she realised that she held prove of that very night's existence in her womb.

 **Innua**

The Valley listened to Tonrar's tale in complete silence. There was no shame, no real emotion in his voice as he spoke, even as he had described the intimate moment between himself and Innua's mother, he spoke merely as if stating fact. Even the spirit Koh, trapped in his prison, made not a sound as Tonrar spoke, switching between faces almost as if to calm himself, to not react to the sin's that Tonrar so openly admitted to. Innua did not need to know the intricacies of the Spirit World to know that what Tonrar had done, in conceiving her, was to be considered among many a great crime. However, she was not bothered by the ethics of what had happened, she hardly even felt a slither of emotion when it came to her mother who she only ever saw as weak, yet her eyes sparkled with tears all the same.

Tonrar looked back at her, and she sought desperately to feel calmed by his presence yet she found that she felt only anger. Anger and disappointment. Her father, he had promised her the world, he was an ancient and powerful spirit, yet he had given into weakness just as readily as any human. Her father, Tonrar, had felt connection and intimacy with a human, and she herself had been born from love. Not romantic love, of course, but an understanding that had passed between he and Kunika. Her father was not the spirit that she had thought him to be, and betrayed she reached down to touch her arm, wincing at the pain. For a moment, empathy crossed Tonrar's expression, and he reached out to take her hand, to look at her wounds, but she pulled herself roughly away from him, her face a snarl.

"Don't touch me," she hissed. If Tonrar was surprised or hurt by her actions, he did well to hide it, his face becoming impassive once more.

"This isn't the reaction I was expecting," he said, and she balked at his honesty, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fought back all the rage and frustration she felt in her heart.

"No? What did you expect? You ... _cared_ for her! I thought you were great, and powerful, yet you fell for some common human whore!"

He winced at this, and she saw it clearly, and her anger only grew.

"Well, I killed that whore," she hissed, suddenly desperate to see her anger mirrored in his face. She needed a rise from him, she needed something to convince her of his strength, to know that she had not given up her life for this. "How does that feel, huh?"

"I admit I was ... hurt," he said quietly. "I thought that I had spared her, you see. I could have consumed her soul just like I had so many others before her, but I decided to spare her. Only now I realise that I still killed her that night, by giving her you." He hummed suddenly, looking away from her and back to the tree again, that damned tree. "It is a strange feeling to know that the only human you sought to heal died anyway."

"But ... why?" Innua all but begged, desperate for him to look back at her, to assure her that this was some sort of joke. "I- I thought I had found someone, someone just like me! When you came to me I thought that I'd finally found all my missing pieces, that the disconnect I feel from every other human in this world would make sense but ..." She froze, tears rapidly sliding down her cheeks as the cold realisation hit her. "Even you feel more human than I do," she managed with a whisper, and Tonrar looked back at her again, the hurt back in his eyes.

"Innua," he breathed, reaching out and placing a cold hand against her cheek. She shivered but did not pull away, so desperate to feel the connection between them yet again. "My daughter, what you are is neither human nor spirit. And you should not strive to be either. You are a being more powerful than any other that has existed before, do you see that? The Avatar? But another human carrying a spirit, and weak because of it, but you?" he let out a shaky breath, his red eyes shining and a wide grin gracing his lips. "You are _beautiful_."

He said it with such conviction, such wonder, that she believed it once more. Despite her burned skin, her useless arm, she felt it.

"What do I do?" she whispered, her good hand reaching up to cover her father's on her cheek. "What do I do now?"

"I have but one task of you, my dear," he said, his tone suddenly greedy and dangerous, and she saw to her delight the dark spirit once more. "I need you to do what I was not able. I need you to kill Raava. I need you to finish the Avatar."


	28. Trouble No Paradise

Toph was never one to find herself swept up in emotions, to find herself feeling uncertain from one day to the next how she felt and how she intended to handle any given situation, but there was one thing that she was certain of. She was exhausted.

Her body was healing, albeit slower than anticipated. Her nurse and Sokka would tell her it was because she was doing too much too fast, and she supposed that they were probably right in that regard, but there wasn't even an ounce of her that could tolerate getting any more rest than she was presently. There was so much to do, so much to prepare for, for starts. They were soon thankful to find that she was not the only earthbender in the Fire Nation, and although most of them severely lacked any real skill or discipline, she was able to work with them none-the-less, creating a network of barriers up the side of the volcano to slow the progress of the Northerner's when they arrived. It took some of the strain off her because, though she would never in a milllion years admit it, she was finding bending difficult. Her body ached badly, she would find herself short of breath often, and more than once her wound had begun to weep onto her clothing through the effort. As much as she wanted to, she could not do this on her own, and it infuriated her.

But, it wasn't just the sheer scale of preparation that she had to contend with. For the most part, it seemed that Hakoda was willing to put his differences aside in order to work with Kanto, and though her feet could feel how desperately the Chief wanted to throttle the man, he refrained and he listened to what Kanto had to say. Sokka, however, was a different matter entirely. He wanted a fight, she could sense that, and he knew that it wasn't just Kanto's involvement in Katara's kidnapping that fueled his rage. He was angry with Zuko, and she realised he was angry with Suki. He'd never show it to anyone, of course, but she could feel how his body trembled whenever Suki was working. It was a bit rich, she realised. Although he often asked if she needed to rest, he ultimately had no issue with her being out here despite her own near brush with death. But Suki, despite doing very little other than acting as Zuko's guard, was always apparently doing too much. She began to suspect, however, that there was far more too it than just that. They'd argued, of that she was certain, because eventually even Suki began to tense up whenever they were together in the Throne Room. Sokka, she realised, had begun to mollycoddle the warrior, and she knew that if he continued to then things might not end so well for the couple.

And so, whenever the four of them were out on the streets, working together on the construction of the barriers, she felt as though she was constantly trying to keep the peace between Sokka and Kanto. Sokka would quip and talk smart, and she was certain that even his father had begun to grow tired of his comments, but Kanto give him his due remained civil, trying not to let it look as though he were bothered by it. But inside she could tell it was a different story. Kanto may be outwardly far calmer than Sokka, but he was still a warrior. He was still a Water Tribesman. And more than once she was certain that he had to hold back from punching Sokka in the face. Though, frankly, she started to feel that maybe that in itself wouldn't be such a bad thing. Sokka needed a fight, and perhaps a punch-up between the pair would finally clear the air.

"It's looking good," Sokka said, looking down at the network of barriers criss-crossing up the side of the volcano. It had already been three days since they had learned that the Northern Water Tribe were definitely headed in their direction, and despite how quickly they had jumped into action, it still felt like it wasn't quick enough. "I'd say we're just about done. But the harbour worries me."

"Why?" Toph asked, her hands crossed about her chest as she appraised the scene below them in her own way.

"I'm not saying that any of the benders coming our way are going to be even close to as good as Katara is," Sokka replied, "but the ocean is still closer than I'd like-"

"We can't move the ocean, Sokka," Toph interupted.

"There are some powerful waterbenders in the North," Kanto quipped, and she felt Sokka's hackles raising. "And I think I understand your concern."

"You think you do?" Sokka countered immediately. Kanto wisely chose not to rise to this.

"If enough of them work together, and you can bet your ass there'll be enough of them, they could clear Caldera. Rise the ocean right up over our barriers."

Toph felt a cold shudder run through her at this. Somehow the idea of tonnes of sea water crashing down on their heads in the middle of the night did not appeal to her one bit.

"So, what do we do about that?" Hakoda asked.

The group fell silent, each of them considering. Toph could make the harbour harder for them to land on, she realised, but it might take a feat of bending that she physically was incapable of at this time, and land they eventually would regardless. The issues was somehow separating the North from the ocean, and she could not fathom a way in which that would be possible.

"It might come down to how hard we can fight," Sokka sighed, heavily. "We've got a lot of firebenders here, some earthbenders, maybe we can fight back the waves. Spirits, I wish Aang and Katara were here."

"We all do," Hakoda agreed, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Toph felt Kanto shift uncomfortably.

"Well, if wishes were kisses Zuko wouldn't be so grumpy," Toph announced loudly, defiantly. She wasn't sure why poor Zuko had become the brunt of most of her teasing these days, she'd argue that it was an act of solidarity, that her teasing was in fact her show of support, but the reality was that she was just far too tired to be any smarter. "Come on, we can't stand around here all day, there's still work to do."

Their work today comprised of investigating each and every barrier pulled up to check it's integrity and the difficulty of the passage that the Northern army would need to negotiate. It was hard work, not least of all because of the sudden rise of temperature that had begun since the end of the electric storm that had destroyed half of the city. Sokka insisted that this would give them some sort of advantage over the Northern army, who were not used to such heat, but given how exhausted and hungry half of the Fire Nation was Toph was sure that it would also hinder them.

She was proven half right when she felt herself start to grow severely light headed, half-way down the path. She had pushed herself too far again, she knew that, the pain in her abdomen and ribs was growing and she found it harder and harder to get sufficient enough air into her lungs. Sokka and Hakoda were far too involved in their work to notice, speaking to the earthbenders and discussing matters among themselves, but Kanto became increasingly more concerned with her swaying, and the way she reached out to steady herself.

"Hey, Toph, are you alright?" he asked, reaching out to take her arm, bending so that he could look into her face. It was that moment that Sokka took notice, hearing Kanto speak and looking back at the pair of them. She suddenly felt acutely aware of Kanto's hand on her, and she swiped out at him.

"I'm fine, back off," she snarled. It was for show, she knew it, though she wasn't sure that Kanto did, and he pulled his hands back to his chest sharply. Sokka dropped what he was doing, hurrying to her side, making a show of shoving Kanto out of the way so that he could stand beside her.

"We need to get you back," he said firmly, as she shook her head angrily, swiping out at him too.

"No we don't, we need to finish this," she snapped. "Army could be here in four days, let's not forget. We don't have time for this shit."

"This shit is your life," Sokka replied bluntly, and he brashly grabbed her arm. It was a risky move, she still had enough strength in her to knock him senseless and she was half tempted to, one hand flexing as the rock beneath their feet shook slightly, but she relented with a grumble.

"Come on, we can carry on with this after we get you back," Sokka continued, gently tugging at her arm. "Can you walk?"

"Of course I can fucking walk," she snarled, pulling her arm roughly from him again. She was being needlessly defiant, she knew that she had suffered a severe injury and that even her body needed time to heal, but she could not fight back the shame that came with it regardless. Bitterly she began her climb back up the hill, the three Water Tribesmen in tow, and she honestly had never felt more embarrassed.

By the time they made it back to the Palace Toph was exhausted, and she would never care to admit how grateful she was to find her way back to her own room, sinking onto her bed with a series a sharp groans, her back and ribs and hips all aching fiercely. Hakoda and Kanto politely waited outside whilst Sokka saw to her, much to her further embarrassment.

"I can stay here," Sokka offered, and she shook her head fiercely.

"No, don't be ridiculous, Snoozles. Have you forgotten that there's a war coming or ..?"

"I just don't want you to feel alone," Sokka replied, his voice tipped with both frustration and concern.

"Maybe I want to be alone?" Toph countered. "Just quit fawning over me, ok? It's annoying and it's not doing my self esteem any good."

But that was the response that Sokka was looking for, and he let out an angry groan.

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" he cried. "Just let me look after you!"

Toph scowled, blowing her fringe with an angry puff of air.

"Because I don't need you looking after me!" she retorted. "And it's not my damn fault if Suki doesn't either."

Sokka slumped, and she knew that she had hit a nerve.

"Fine, whatever, feel better soon," he grumbled, before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Perhaps she could have dealt with the matter a little differently, she reasoned, but she had enough on her plate already without having to take care of Sokka too. She heard voices outside of the room, before the sound of the three men walking back down the corridor back to their work. She resented them, she realised. It wasn't any of their faults that she was stuck here, but she wanted to blame them for it anyway. With a heavy sigh she let her aching body relax, the frown still on her face as she finally drifted off to sleep.

It wasn't long later that she was woken up by a gentle hand on her shoulder. She reacted quickly, her hand shooting out and grabbing hold of the one that had touched her, twisting it, and only letting go when she heard the loud yelp.

"Don't sneak up on me!" she yelled, letting go as the man shook his hand, swearing under his breath.

"Why is violence your immediate reaction to everything?" Kanto complained.

"Why do you people not listen to me?" Toph replied sourly. She was tired, achy, and decidedly irritable, and she could not imagine why Kanto would take it upon himself to wake her up like this.

"I just came here with your pain relief," he said, obviously reading the anger in her expression, holding the vial out to her. "I went to speak to Nurse Sansa after Sokka and Hakoda left, she said to bring this to you."

"Why didn't you go with Sokka and his dad?" Toph asked, before snatching the vial from his hand. She didn't care to admit that she was grateful for it as she swiftly downed the entire contents. She heard Kanto make some sort of strangled noise.

"What?"

"You're not supposed to take the whole thing!"

"Oh." She tipped the vial in her hand, gauging the size of it, before shrugging. "Well, guess I'm in for an interesting night, huh."

"If you don't die first," Kanto admonished, grabbing the vial from her again. "Nurse Sansa said this was supposed to last you until the morning ..."

"Well, then it can't have been that much," Toph reasoned. "Besides, you didn't answer my question, why didn't you go with Sokka and his dad?"

"They didn't want me with them anyway," Kanto replied. "Which is just fine by me, they don't exactly need my help at this moment."

"Chicken," Toph sniggered. She could feel Kanto's pout, which somehow only made her smile more.

"How are you feeling now?" Kanto asked.

"I'd be feeling better if you'd let me sleep," Toph replied with an attempt at rolling her eyes. "But I don't feel as cruddy as I did before. Spirits, I hate this ... I hate being bored."

"Better bored than dead," Kanto reasoned. She heard him drag a chair from the corner of her room, pulling it up beside her bed and she frowned.

"You're staying here, then?" she asked.

"If that's alright with you," Kanto sighed. She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers against her elbows. "What?"

"So, you're just going to sit there and watch me sleep or ..?"

She could practically feel the heat of his blush, and she found she took just as much pleasure out of making Kanto uncomfortable as she did any of her friends.

"O-oh," he said, getting swiftly to his feet and knocking the chair back. "You need to sleep, of course. Sorry-"

"Oh, don't be stupid, I'm just messing with you," Toph cackled, finding that she didn't want him to leave the room. "You got something on your mind?"

Kanto hesitated, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, no, not really," he said. "I just ... I thought you could do with the company that's all."

For a moment she wished she could see the expression on his face, because it would be surely priceless if the hammering of his heart was anything to go by. She was on zero doubt by this point, Kanto liked her. He liked her like Satoru had liked her. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with that information. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do anything with that information. She remembered his lame attempts to get her attention and to flirt with her the very first time he had been in the Palace, though at the time she was certain that he was only trying to keep her focus off of Innua, and now she had to wonder if there was something in it even then.

"You haven't got anyone else to bother?" she said, electing for indifference. It had served her well in the past, after all.

"Funny enough, no," Kanto replied, with a chuckle. "It's crazy, I know, but I'm not exceptionally popular around these parts."

"What makes you think you're any more welcome here?" Toph asked, raising an eyebrow. To her surprise, and she found to her delight, Kanto just laughed. He pushed his chair back before raising both his feet and crossing them against the edge of her bed, his arms crossing against his chest as he looked back at her with a smug grin.

"You can just ask me to leave if you don't like it," he said simply. She had half a mind to kick his ass, injured or not, but she contented herself with kicking his feet off her bed with a smirk.

"Fine, watch me sleep if it makes you happy," she replied, before stretching herself out on the bed again, her arms crossing behind her head and wincing at the way her ribs stretched before letting out a sigh. She could feel Kanto still sat at her side, and though she couldn't say for certain, she was sure that he was still looking at her. She wasn't sure if it made her uncomfortable or not, but she did know that she actually felt a little glad for the company. Just hearing someone's heart beat in the room was for more comforting than she gave credit for. Of course, Kanto was probably not aware that she could hear that, and she knew he was going to speak before he even opened his mouth.

"You know, you look a lot less intimidating when you sleep."

She frowned. "How would you know considering you clearly don't plan on letting me?" she quipped quickly, and he laughed again.

"You don't let yourself feel vulnerable around anybody, do you?"

"That's a strange question."

"I've got a stranger one."

Her face scrunched up, a mixture of confusion and humour, not entirely sure what direction he was headed or why he was headed there.

"You are a stranger one," she replied, eyebrow raised. "What is it?"

"Could I kiss you?"

She froze, her breath catching in her throat as she lay there, and in her chest boiled a painful and volatile combination of anger and excitement, unsure whether her next move would be to bend him to the other side of the room or grab his tunic and pull him to her. She instead, occupied her hands but sitting herself up. She imagined her expression must have been leaning more towards the more violent of the two options because she heard him groan, a slap as his hand hit his forehead.

"You know, that didn't sound half as creepy in my head," he muttered.

"Half as creepy is still pretty fucking creepy, bud," Toph said smartly.

"I thought, you know, it'd be both manly and respectable," Kanto continued, his mouth running away with itself, something that she noticed to be a common theme with the warrior. "Plus, I mean, if I just went ahead and kissed you anyway you'd absolutely have kicked me halfway back to the Nor-"

But his words were shut short with a muffled yelp as Toph decided on a healthy combination of both her penchant for violence and her desire to stop him talking, grabbing the front of his tunic and pulling him roughly towards her, crashing her lips against his. His surprise passed decidedly quickly, however, and he kissed her back with just as much gusto, Toph feeling a grin curl to her lips as they separated.

"You didn't even ask," Kanto hummed, though she could hear the delight in his voice.

"You ruin everything as soon as you open your mouth, you know," Toph scoffed, but in that moment, as the fuzziness in her head cleared, she became acutely aware that they were not alone in the room, a familiar scent and heart beat bring her attention sharply to the doorway, where Sokka stood, leaning against the door frame. Kanto, noticing her focus shifting behind him, looking back, his face paling when he saw the furious glare of the Southern man, his lips almost bared as he eyed him with little less than utter contempt. He got quickly to his feet, clearing his throat, not daring to glance back at Toph as she busied herself with flattening her sheets, wishing she could as easily avoid Sokka's rage just by not looking at him.

"Uh, hey Sokka. I'm just gonna go take this back to the nurse," he quickly snatched the empty vial of pain relief from the counter beside Toph's table and made to leave, but Sokka did not move, his left eye twitching as the pair just looked at each other for a moment. Toph felt the tension, ordinarily she was sure she would found it entertaining, but she knew how close Sokka was to snapping and sure enough, before she could say a single word, Sokka punched Kanto, hard, in the face.

Kanto reeled, his hand reaching up to touch the side of his face. But there was something about Kanto that neither of them realised. He was no stranger to punches, and he had been dealt far worse as a kid, sometimes on a daily basis, than what Sokka had to offer. He had never hit back, he had always restrained himself, but today he found he simply hadn't had it in him to let it slide, and he wouldn't allow the Southern man to ridicule in this way. Spitting blood onto the floor, his eyes connecting with Sokka's blazing ones, he launched, his fist connecting hard with Sokka's stomach. Sokka had no time for shock, his blood was boiling and his arms itching for a fight, and quickly he charged at Kanto, knocking the man to the ground.

"Are you actually fucking kidding me?" Toph yelled, throwing her hands in the air before wincing at the pain that spread across her ribcage. But neither Kanto or Sokka heard her, knocking furniture aside as each of them tried to get the upper hand. They were fairly evenly matched, Kanto might be bigger but Sokka had more experience, and even as Kanto tried to tackle him and knock him off of his feet, Sokka ducked under his arms, his knees connecting with the man's stomach.

"Don't think I won't get involved, because I will!" Toph yelled, still in her bed.

In spite of her very real threat, Sokka wrapped his arm around Kanto's neck, dragging the man down as Kanto reached back to try and punch him. It was at that point that the commotion brought Hakoda, Zuko, and Suki to her door, the three of them looking in with shock as Sokka practically choked Kanto, before Kanto brought his elbow back sharply into Sokka's ribs.

"What are you doing!" Suki yelled, and that was enough to break Sokka's concentration for a minute, glancing up at her direction before Hakoda and Zuko waded in, Hakoda hooking his arms roughly under his son's as Sokka fought against him, Zuko doing the same to Kanto. For a moment the pair still tried to break free, glaring daggers at each other, before panting they came to a halt.

"What just happened?" Suki demanded, looking between the Tribesmen and Toph.

Sokka sniffed, wiping his bloody nose as his father let go of him. Zuko, however, seemed a little less keen to break his hold on Kanto.

"Sokka punched him is what," Toph said, rubbing her freshly aching side with an irate expression on her face. Sokka's eyes flickered towards her for a moment, she was certain that he would argue, but he noticed the obvious pain in her face and let his shoulder's sag.

"Why would you punch him?" Suki asked, exhasperated.

"Because he's an asshole," Sokka replied simply. Kanto let out a single bark of laughter, but did not respond. Tentatively Zuko let go of him, and Kanto straightened his tunic, still eyeing Sokka carefully.

"Right, but ... why specifically?" Hakoda asked hesitantly. Toph raised her eyebrows pointedly, as Sokka curled his upper lip, knowing full well that he couldn't exactly tell them why he had lost it with Kanto finally, not without embarrassing her as well as himself.

"We're just letting off a bit of steam, is all," Kanto replied instead, raising a hand to his jaw before stretching it with a wince.

"In Toph's room?" Suki admonished, gesturing to the earthbender sat on the bed. "She's injured, have some respect!"

"Yeh, guys," Toph scolded. "If you're gonna fight over me at least do it in the hallway." But, as ever, her quick tongue acted before her mind, and she sensed the air in the room change immediately. Zuko and Hakoda, at least, saw nothing in her words, just assuming that it was yet more Toph-branded teasing. That was until Suki let out a quiet 'huh', and left the room. Sokka looked for all the world like he might launch himself at Toph then, his face burning bright red.

"That's not- damnit, Toph!" He stormed out the room, hurrying after Suki, where they could hear his voice calling after her, leaving Toph and the three men in her room in an awkward silence, each of them trying to avoid the gaze of the other.

"You think you can behave enough as to not cause any more problems?" Zuko asked, at least, turning his scowling face towards Kanto. "I still have an empty prison cell."

"Hey, I didn't start it," Kanto assured, raising his hands up in submission. "Sokka's been looking for a fight with me since I got here."

"That's pretty much true," Hakoda sighed, though there was still an inkling of contempt in his expression as he glanced at the Northern man. "It was going to happen eventually."

"Alright then," Zuko sighed. "Toph, are you ok?"

"I will be if people could finally let me get some sleep," Toph quipped, laying herself back down again, hoping that her cheeks did not look as warm as they felt.  
"Alright, give us a shout if you need anything," Zuko said with a nod, before he and Hakoda filed from the room. Kanto hesitated, holding back and looking at her, and she could only scoff.

"Are you kidding? Get out and go think about what you've done."

But she could not hold back the small smile that came to her lips, and Kanto did not miss it, a goofy grin on his own bruised and bloodied face before he, too, left the room.

Several corridors away, Sokka leaned against the locked door of his room, face sullen and frustrated as he knocked for the tenth time. The adrenaline from his fight with Kanto was starting to fade, and all that was left was a dull empty feeling in his chest that he was sure had more to do with that just his argument with Suki. He sighed heavily, his knuckles rapping on the wood, as Suki determined to ignore him.

"Come on, Suki," he practically whined, "you can't just shut me out."

He heard nothing on the other side of the door.

"Well, fine, maybe you can," he said, his voice raising just a tad. "But, just so you know, I'll be here all night. Eventually you'll need to use the bathroom or something."

"I'll just use a bucket!" Suki yelled back at him, her voice full of scorn. But Sokka felt the smile tug at his cheeks. It was a ridiculous come back, he knew and he was certain she did too, and sure enough he heard the low cuss words muttered inside before the sound of the lock being turned. She opened the door, glaring at him, before turning on her heal and sitting down on the bed, arms crossed and looking any direction but at him. He shut the door smartly behind him.

"Can we talk about it?" he asked, beseechingly.

"Talk about what?" Suki snapped. She glanced back at him, taking in the sight of the dried blood smeared across his face and the bruises already rising up his arm and cheek, and somehow it seemed to only make her angrier, her lip curling as she glared out the window.

"We could talk about you storming off and locking me out of my own room, for starts," he said, his voice sounding a little more heated that he perhaps intended.

"You want to talk about that?" she shot back. "Fine, let's talk about it." She fixed him with a stare that made him sweat, he still standing close to the door. "Why'd you hit Kanto?"

"I told you," Sokka replied tersely, "because he's an asshole."

"Because he likes Toph?"

"How do you know he likes her?"

Her face twitched dangerously. "Well, it seemed like a pretty big over-reaction to him just talking to her."

"What makes you think it has anything to do with Toph?" Sokka cried, throwing his hands in the air. But he was playing for time, and he knew it. The truth was walking in on Toph and Kanto, Kanto, kissing had made his blood boil with a rage he had not felt for a very long time.

"Don't do that," Suki snapped. "Toph said it herself, you were fighting over her-"

"Toph says a lot of things!" Sokka interrupted, exasperated. "She was just joking, she jokes about stuff all the time!"

"So, what, you just decided to jump Kanto when he was in Toph's room?" she asked, not looking convinced. "Tell me what happened, Sokka, I swear to Kyoshi."

"They ..." he hesitated, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. "Ok, fine, I walked in on them kissing!"

If looks could kill, he would have been six feet under in that moment, the fire and anger in Suki's eyes a terrifying sight on her otherwise gentle face. But then, all in a heartbeat, that anger morphed into disbelief and misery, her lips thinning as she got to her feet, ready to storm out past him. He knew he couldn't grab her to stop her, she'd have him on his ass quicker than either of them could blink, so instead he jumped in front of the door, standing his ground.

"It's not because I have ... feelings for Toph or whatever," he protested, but she just laughed.

"Oh really? Then what is it? What about Kanto kissing Toph pissed you off so much that you had to try and choke the guy?"

"Because ..." he swallowed, his mind growing hazy as he fought to understand what it was about the entire scenario that had made him so angry. "Because Toph should have known better!" he managed, his voice shaking. "He took Katara away! Right from under my nose! Just as Innua almost took you away, I was sleeping in the next damn room and she still managed to poison you! I-" he froze, breaking eye contact with her and looking to the ground. Suki stayed silent, he could just see her hands uncurl from their fists in the corner of his eye, but he felt far too beaten and ashamed to look at her.

"I walked in on them and I couldn't very well yell at Toph so when he came to the door I just ... lost it. He took my sister, now he wants to take my friend?"

Suki sighed.

"And she wouldn't let me help her," he continued. "She wouldn't let me look after her but she had no problem letting him do it. Apparently, I'm not good enough anymore, just like I'm not good enough to look after you-"

Suki interupted him with a frustrated cry. "We cannot keep having this same argument, Sokka!"

"Well, why not?" Sokka shot back, furiously. "You won't give me a straight answer, how else am I supposed to feel?"

"Because I don't have an answer!"

Sokka seethed, his heart beating in his chest. It was only ever going to be a matter of time before the subject of their relationship, and Suki's continued service to the Firelord, came back up again.

"My job here is important to me, Sokka," she continued, trying to calm her voice down.

"But you can be a Kyoshi warrior anywhere!" Sokka shot back. "Why does it have to be here? In the Fire Nation? Why can't it be with me?"

"This is not the time to be having this conversation," Suki said, turning her back to him, her arms crossed. "There's a war coming, possibly the end of the world, we can't be wasting energy worrying about our future."

"Oh, so when it's me asking the uncomfortable questions it's ok for you not to answer," Sokka said shortly.

"This is different," Suki replied.

"No, it's not!" He stepped away from the door, walking around so that he was in front of her again, trying to looking into her eyes. She averted her gaze. "You won't even look at me."

She shrugged her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her torso. This was a discussion that they had already had, more than once.

"I thought ... after you got sick, I thought maybe you'd see things differently," he continued, the heartbreak in his voice clear. "I was so scared, Suki. I love you so much, and when I thought you were slipping away from me I just ..." he swallowed, fighting back the tears. "I want to be with you, I want us to be together. But how can we do that? How can we get married, or have children, or start our lives if we're always a whole Nation apart from each other?"

"Sokka ..." her voice caught in her throat, and she shook her head. "Those are things that you want. I love being a Kyoshi warrior, I love working, I love being here in the Fire Nation ... I can't be a wife or- or a mother and still do those things."

"But there's more than just the Fire Nation," Sokka said, his voice shaking terribly now, feeling fearful, like the conversation was swiftly taking a turn in a direction that he did not want it to, that he could not handle. "There's Yu Dao, and when all this is over there'll be the new city, we could make it work. Spirits, I'll stay at home with the kids and I'll cook the dinners and I'll even wear an apron!" He took her hands, their eyes meeting for a moment as he smiled at her, but the warmth did not show on her face, a single tear falling down her cheeks as she shook her head and looked away from him. His felt his head growing light.

"I told you, Sokka, those are things that you want, not me."

Her hands dropped from his, and he had to look up at the ceiling to prevent the tears from forming in his eyes and sliding down his cheeks. He cleared his throat, rubbing his face roughly for a second, before letting out a steady breath.

"Ok, ok fine," he said. "Then we won't do that, then. We'll just ... keep working at the long distance thing once all this is over."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Sokka," she breathed.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Do you have any idea how many times you've spoken about kids to me?" she asked, turning her face to look up at him now. He blinked, his cheeks warming. "I can't be the one to stand between you and what you want for your future."

"Whoa, wait," he held his hands up, shaking his head. "What are you saying here?"

"I'm saying ..." she paused, her voice cracking. "I'm saying maybe we've tried enough."

"Nope," Sokka replied, a weak laugh coming from his lips. "No chance, you can't put me through all of this, you can't almost die on me, and then just call it quits."

"Even if our relationship makes you unhappy?" Suki countered.

"It doesn't make me unhappy!" Sokka protested. "Suki, I love you, I would do anything for you. I'd die for you! And if being with you means no family then I'm willing to do that, too."

"But, I'm not willing to do that to you," Suki sighed. "Look, now isn't the time to be talking about this. There is so much going on already let's just ... let's just focus on getting through the next week alive."

His initial instinct was to stay here with her, pull her into his arms, perhaps if he kissed her and held her she would forget that they'd had this discussion and things could go back to the way that they were, but in his heart he knew that not even he could do that now. He stood there, looking down at her beautiful face, before he could only breathe a quiet 'ok' before walking past her and leaving the room.

He had nowhere to turn. He couldn't talk to his father, he felt far too ashamed to admit that he had somehow managed to lose yet another woman in his life. He couldn't talk to Toph because ... well, he just couldn't. And his only other confident was an entire world away from him right now. He missed her, more than he ever thought possible, and so with a painful heart he walked until he found the gardens, sitting under the shade of the tree long long after the sun started it's decent across the sky.

 **A/N: Sorry, folks, just when you thought I'd stopped breaking hearts, huh? This chapter was probably the quickest I've written in so long, the words just flowed out so easily. Perhaps it was the benefit of taking a little break, or perhaps it's because I've been imagining the events in this chapter for such a while now.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I adore Sokka and Suki, and their relationship is a beautiful one, but sometimes love just isn't reason enough to stick together, and Suki is smart enough to know that. There will be one-shots and a spin-off book I am currently planning and drafting that will focus on Sokka and Suki, but for now I hope this chapter is enough to tie you all over as we draw closer to our conclusion.**


	29. Chaos Control

When Katara woke the next morning, it took a moment for the anxiety to set in, the memories of the conversation she had had the night previous with Sansetsu coming back to her. It was light, and she was surprised to see that Aang was still asleep, curled up beside her and breathing steadily. It was not typical for the airbender to sleep in past her, it was perhaps testament to just how exhausted he was that he had done. She held off waking him for a moment, instead slipping past him carefully, stepping out into the morning sun as it gleamed off the emerald grass at her feet, feeling decidedly hesitant to look behind her. Whether Sansetsu had decided to leave them or not, she knew that they could handle it, but it would be better for Aang, and for the past-Avatar, if he had stayed. She took a deep breath, before looking over her shoulder.

To her immense relief, Sansetsu still sat where she had left him, his face looking in her direction. For a moment they just looked at each other, Sansetsu's expression somewhat dogged yet still the understanding passed between them and she could only manage the smallest smile.

"You should probably wake princess," Sansetsu drawled, getting to his feet. "We've got a lot to do."

She crawled back into the cave, her hands gently nudging Aang's shoulder, calling his name softly. He woke quickly, his hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist sharply, making the both of them jump.

"What's going on?" Aang demanded, his tone alert and concerned as he let go of her wrist, looking acutely around at them.

"Nothing, it's just time to wake up," Katara replied, and for a moment Aang still looked entirely confused, before he realised how bright it was out there.

"Monkey feathers, I really overslept," he grumbled, his shoulders sagging now as he pressed the palm of his hands into his eyes, trying to shift the remaining sleepiness.

"I think you needed it."

"Monkey feathers?" a voice called, and Sansetsu quickly peered down into their cave and making them jump, his expression leering. "You know, it's much more satisfying to just swear like everybody else."

"And bring myself down to your level? No thanks."

"Ohhh, well that told me, didn't it! What, no good down here in the dirt? You're missing out." Sansetsu disappeared from the entrance, and they heard him walking around the side of the cave, whistling to himself.

"He seems in a better mood again," Aang muttered to her, and she just shrugged. Aang didn't need to know about the conversation she had had with the past-Avatar that night, and hopefully Sansetsu would know to keep what they had talked about to himself, but in mind. The pair climbed back from their make-shift cave, Aang taking a deep breath and stretching, a light popping from his hip causing him to grimace, but otherwise he seemed decidedly less bothered by his leg than he had done since his injury had happened. She was relieved to see that, finally, it was starting to heal.

"We've got a lot to be getting on with today," Sansetsu repeated, before pulling the knife that Hakoda had given Aang from his pocket again and holding it out to him. Aang blinked, checking his back pocket, before snatching it with a frown.

"Will you quit that?"

"Maybe you should stop being so easy to steal from," Sansetsu shrugged. "Why do you have a Water Tribe knife, anyway?"

"Why do you still have that stupid Ba Sing Se braid?" Aang replied smartly.

"Any chance we can get five minutes into the day without you two bickering?" Katara sighed, interrupting Sansetsu before he could respond. Sansetsu snorted, rolling his eyes and looking ahead of them. By some act of mercy, perhaps, no spirits had approached them during the night, but they knew they were out there, and it was only because of this that Sansetsu had allowed them both to sleep in so long. Aang needed his rest, and to regain his strength, it would not be easy going for any of them from this point. But Katara's words had hit him last night, and he had spent the remaining hours before sun-up thinking about them, and it was time for him to finally step up.

"At this point, the only thing we have to go on is this Valley of Time, and I'm pretty positive that we're headed the right way," Sansetsu said, getting Aang's attention. "Tonrar's left enough of a trail."

"Doesn't that seem a bit, well, careless?" Katara asked, frowning.

"Only if you're assuming he doesn't want me to follow him," Aang replied dryly. Sansetsu scoffed.

"Pipsqueak's right," he said, ignoring the minute roll of Aang's eyes, "Assuming the very worst here and we can't save your world, you'll both still survive here. The last thing Tonrar wants is an angry Avatar out somewhere in the wilderness, better to lead us to him now so that he can deal with it."

Aang and Katara exchanged uncomfortable glances. The thought of them both being the remaining human's alive, trapped in the Spirit World, was no laughing matter.

"So, we're to assume that Tonrar is ready for you," Sansetsu continued, "or at the very least preparing for your arrival. And there's a huge elephant-koi in the room that we've all been avoiding. His daughter."

Aang shuddered at the memories of Innua, but the image forever seared into his brain was that of Koh wrapping his face around hers, the convulsing and pulsing, as her face was stolen, and her cruel smile on Koh's lips. Katara, however, seemed suddenly preoccupied, her fingers pulling at the sleeves of her dress and her face averting behind of them. Sansetsu noticed this, his eyes narrowing just a fraction before Aang spoke.

"We don't know for sure that Tonrar has his body back yet," he said, "but Katara did say that he took Innua's body with him when he ran in the South. My guess is that, if Tonrar has got his body back, then Innua has too."

"Agreed," Sansetsu sighed, dragging his attention away from Katara. "You think she's crazy enough to come after you on her own?"

"Oh, she's crazy enough," Aang laughed coldly. "And Tonrar's cold enough to let her."

Katara frowned, the images she had seen in the Spirit of Fortune swimming in her brain like some foul smell. She saw Innua's burned and flaky face, and her useless arm hanging at her side, and she wondered what it could all mean. Was her vision accurate? Were any of them? _The portal requires a sacrifice_. She shivered.

"Hey, you ok?"

She started, realising that Aang was watching her, concern etched across his features, and she quickly nodded.

"Yeh, yeh, fine," she replied, with a forced smile. But she saw Sansetsu looking at her too, his expression shrewd, and with a low growl she shook her head. "Ok, no," she sighed. She could hardly stand to look at Aang in that moment, looking for all the world like he was about to worry over her like a mother hen before she raised her hand to stop him.

"What is it?"

"I saw something in the Spirit of Fortune," she replied heavily. "It was only briefly, there was so much happening, but I saw Innua."

Aang's eyebrows rose clear off his forehead.

"You saw her? Why?"

"I don't know," she responded. It wasn't entirely untrue, she still wasn't sure why she had seen Innua in her visions, exactly, but she could not allow Aang to realise that she had seen the end of their journey. She wasn't ready for that. "But she didn't look good ... she looked burned, almost, and one of her arms was broken."

"Welp, here's your firebender," Sansetsu said, gesturing to Aang who looked back at him in alarm.

"Are you trying to say that I could have done that to her?" he asked, trying and failing to hide his disgust.

"Well, who else?"

"The point is, I think we're going to be seeing her," Katara sighed, rubbing her arms. "We should be prepared for that."

"If it turns out that Tonrar can't control the Avatar Spirit any more then he'll be relying on her more than ever," Sansetsu said. "I don't doubt Tonrar will have other spirits at his control, but it'll be Innua that stands between us and him, you mark my words."

"I can take her," Katara replied, her voice sounding grim and determined. "She's a good waterbender, but I'm better."

Sansetsu grinned at this, his eyes roaming across her appreciatively. "Now, _that_ I can't wait to see," he leered. Aang swiftly pulled up a column of earth into the man's crotch, causing him to swear loudly. He just shrugged when the past-Avatar turned his furious glare to him.

"We don't know that being here won't have changed her," Aang said to Katara. "She's still half spirit, who knows what kind of powers she might have here."

"I don't have a spirit," Katara replied. "Even if she can do a little of what Tonrar can there's no way she can control me. Neither of them can. I'd say that gives me a pretty big advantage, if nothing else."

"Hopefully you won't have to get involved at all," Aang said, ignoring the irate look that she shot him. He knew she'd be angry about it, but it certainly did not change the fact that he had every intention to keep Katara out of the fight, especially after all the nightmares he had had involving her lying dead on the ground, a deep wound in her chest. Sansetsu, still grumbling over his stinging crotch, looked between the pair of them, eyes narrowed.

"Pipsqueak's right," he interjected, getting a surprised look from Aang and a furious one from Katara. "If this pans out right then no one other than Aang needs to get involved." _Here it is_ , he thought to himself, _better late than never_. "So, this is where the next bit of your training comes in."

Aang glanced back at Katara, surprised.

"Next bit?" Aang asked. "No offense, Sunny, but I've kinda managed to sort out the issue with the Avatar State already-"

"I'm not talking about that," Sansetsu interrupted. He looked uncomfortable for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck in such a stark impersonation of Aang that it wouldn't have been hard to imagine for a second that the pair could be related. "Look, I was a shitty Avatar, I get that. But I had a damn good spiritual teacher, and she told me a lot about what the Avatar was capable of here in the Spirit World."

Curious, Aang sat down on the edge of the make-shift earth cave, looking at Sansetsu intently. Katara was a little shocked, she had not expected Sansetsu to really have anything else to teach Aang. She wondered if their talk last night had anything to do with this.

"I'm pretty sure I've already told you that the Avatar is pretty powerful here in the Spirit World," Sansetsu continued. "But it's more than that. The Spirit World is where the Avatar is most powerful, even without your bending, with the right training and understanding, you could still be the most powerful thing in this damn place."

"How?"

Sansetsu ran his tongue across his teeth, considering for a moment, wondering how best to explain it. "You've probably noticed it already, but your bending is stronger here now that you've reconnected with the Avatar Spirit, yeh?"

Aang thought back to the way he had drained an entire tree of it's water with just a simple flick of his wrist, and the way that he had been able to calm all those spirit's with his waterbending, and nodded.

"And, even before you had control over the Avatar State again, did you notice that the world ... responded to you? When your emotions run high. When you're pissed off, for example?"

Aang frowned at this, thinking back. The first painful memory that came to him was when he had slipped into the Avatar State when he and Katara had been together in the desert ... he had not realised it at the time, it was only as he came down from his high that he saw the billowing flames simmer, the high wind outside drop. He had almost created a storm outside of their little cave, and he had not even been aware of it. And then, there was that moment where he had lost his temper with Sansetsu, and how he had been able to grapple the past-Avatar using tree branches. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but now that he thought back to it, it was definitely weird. He wasn't sure to this moment if he had controlled the water inside of the dry vegetation or if he had just controlled the branches themselves.

"Yeh," he replied finally, still frowning as he considered these facts.

"In your mortal world, you control the elements," Sansetsu continued. "But, if what Gotami told me was true, and I've no reason to think that it wasn't, here you can control the _world_. The entire place is made from spiritual energy, though it might not look it, and a powerful enough Avatar can manipulate that to his whim."

Aang blinked, completely taken back.

"I can control the world?" he repeated, before shaking his head. "Look, I don't wanna go against your spiritual teacher's words here, but how could she have known that for sure? It sounds ... unbelievable."

"Gotami spent more time in this world than anyone else from my time," Sansetsu replied. "I'd say more than anyone else before her, too. She spoke to a lot of the spirits here, saw things that no other human had seen, I'm pretty confident that she knew what she was talking about." His tone was restrained, but Aang did not miss the frustration. Aang knew that he had admired Gotami a great deal, however, and he couldn't help but wonder whether the past-Avatar's affection for her blind-sided him.

"Even if she's right," Aang continued, and he didn't miss the way Sansetsu's nostrils flared at this, "I don't know where to start. The only times I've been able to do anything even close to that was when I was angry or ..." he hesitated, knowing that he didn't need to finish that sentence. "I don't want to have to rely on anger any more."

"You won't need to," Sansetsu replied. "You can go into the Avatar State again now, that's all your anger was ever pushing you towards. Now that you can complete clarity and awareness in the Avatar State you can start to test the boundaries, see what you are truly capable of."

Aang felt unsure. He knew that he should be excited about this news, it could be what enabled him to beat Tornar, after all, and could it also be a way for him to fix the tear between the two worlds? He wasn't sure on that point. And yet, he found he felt mostly fear at what Sansetsu had revealed. He did not want to have that much power, he still didn't trust himself with it, and how could Sansetsu or Katara possibly trust him either after all that he had done to both of them? Having this much potential power was not exhilarating, it was terrifying.

"Maybe you should take it slow at first," Katara offered, as if she sensed the reason behind his trepidation. "I know you're afraid of losing control again, but Sansetsu is right. You can do this now."

He glanced up at her, flashing her a small appreciative smile before sighing heavily, rubbing his temples.

"I'm not comfortable with this," he admitted, to both of them. "I've only just learned how to control the Avatar State again and you're telling me I can be more powerful? It's risky."

"Of course it is," Sansetsu said honestly, shrugging. "But I wouldn't be telling you all this if I didn't think you were ready to hear it."

Aang looked over at Sansetsu, stunned and moved by his admission.

"We'll start small," the past-Avatar continued. "Without the Avatar State to begin with."

Aang took a long deep breath, before nodding. "Alright, where do I start?"

"We start by finding something that you wouldn't be able to bend in your world," Sansetsu replied, looking about himself for some inspiration.

"Ooh!" Katara grabbed their attention, her eyes wide with excitement. "Aang can't metalbend back in our world, why doesn't he try that?"

"Really?" Sansetsu looked back at him. "I thought you said your earthbending teacher had invented metalbending ... how come you didn't learn?"

"It just never came up," Aang replied honestly, with a shrug. "After the War and everything there wasn't really much time."

"Huh. Well, that's a great idea, Katara, but you're not going to find any metal out here."

But Katara was busy untying her belt, bringing the fabric to her teeth and tearing it so that the round metal loop fell loose. She tied the strips of fabric in a knot around her waist again before holding the hoop out to Aang.

"That'll do."

Almost apprehensively he took it, holding it out flat in his palm. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to learn to metalbend, he had always meant to ask Toph to teach him, but now that he was presented with an opportunity he felt nervous. Toph herself had said that she thought only one in a hundred earthbenders were capable of metalbending, and being the Avatar didn't make him that one in a hundred.

"Well, go on then," Sansetsu said impatiently. Aang shot him an irritated glare.

"Give me a minute," he snapped. He looked back at the hoop, taking a deep breath. What was it Toph had said about metalbending? It was about finding the trace elements of unpurified earth that remained within the metal. He was sure that this small piece of metal was supposed to provide less of a challenge for him, but without utilising his seismic sense he wasn't sure how he was meant to find any pieces of unrefined earth inside of it, and he frowned.

"This might be too small," he said.

"What, you want a whole fucking ship?" Sansetsu said, incredulously. "This is all we've got. Why can't it work?"

Aang sighed. "Because I can't feel the earth inside of something this small! I need to use my seismic sense for that."

"Seismic _what_? Are you just making shit up now to annoy me?"

"No, it's an earthbending technique," Aang replied, rubbing his temple tersely. Sometimes it was easy to forget just long ago Sansetsu had lived, and how much bending must have changed since his time. "I'll show you." He got to his feet, putting the hoop into his pocket, before slamming his heel down into the ground beneath him, eyes shut as he reached out around them.

"There's a small rock, shaped like a 'c', in that direction," he said, pointing to his right. Sansetsu narrowed his eyes, doubtfully, before walking where he had pointed. "Under that bush," Aang called, and sure enough Sansetsu reached down picked out a muddy 'c-shaped' piece of rock.

"Damn."

"It's much harder to that with something so small," Aang continued, pulling the metal hoop from his pocket again, looking at it dejected.

"Just try," Katara urged, reaching out and placing her hand on his shoulder. "I mean, you did master three elements in a year. You can do this."

"Yeh, quit being a baby," Sansetsu agreed, calling over to them from where he was stood.

"Alright, fi- _ouch_!" Aang was interrupted by sharp pain on the back of his head, swinging round to see Sansetsu grinning deviously at him, having just thrown the little rock hard at him.

"Hey, I might not be able to bend anymore but I've got good aim."

"Lucky us," Aang snapped, rolling his eyes, before holding the hoop out on his palm once more, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath.

He tried to focus on the feel of it, the cold metal warming quickly on his palm, but quickly found that focusing on the feel of the entire thing wasn't helping him at all. It remained a hoop of metal in his hand, nothing more, and he took another deep breath. He closed his hand around it, squeezing it, feeling the pressure of it against his skin and it was then that he sensed something. It was like a torch had been lit in his mind, as at once he felt the metal vibrate as the earth inside of it gravitated towards his finger tips. He opened his eyes, his grin triumphant as he opened his hand, the hoop stretching out into a long cylindrical shape, before he compressed his hand again and it formed a solid ball. Katara cheered and clapped, and Sansetsu was at his side in an instant, his face close to Aang's hand and the metal as he looked at it with wide-eyed interest.

"I mean, it's not as impressive as my airball, of course, but it'll do," he muttered, and Aang laughed. He could metalbend. He wondered briefly if he'd be able to do it in his world too.

"Wait 'til I show Toph," Aang said eagerly to Katara, before he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He couldn't allow himself to think about his world and his friends right now, not when he knew that there was still a chance that they may not see them again.

"Metalbending is a start," Sansetsu said, "but it's not going to help much with Tonrar." He stood tall, looking around them, before seemingly coming to a decision. "Ok, new plan, we stay here for the day and we focus on your training. It seems to be relatively safe here and there's plenty of space, we don't know when we might have either of those things again."

Aang initially was unsure. He wanted to get moving again, he knew that every day they remained in the Spirit World could cost their friends, could cost the world, and could give Tonrar more time to recover his strength, to prepare. But he couldn't argue that Sansetsu was right. This was a good place to train, and there was no way he could face Tonrar unprepared.

"Ok," he said. "What do you want me to do next?"

"Let's see how far you can push this," Sansetsu said, before grabbing Aang's arm unceremoniously and starting to drag him to the center of the clearing. Bemused, Aang followed, glancing back at Katara who shrugged. "You'll be using your surroundings to your advantage," Sansetsu continued, "we don't know exactly what Tonrar is going to be capable of in this world, so we should just assume that he has some degree of hand-to-hand combat skills he can utilise."

"And if he doesn't," Aang added, "then Innua and his spirits do."

"Exactly. You need to think quick and, more importantly, you need to move quick. The daughter is a waterbender, right?"

For a moment, Aang wasn't entirely sure who he meant, before he was reminded of Innua again and nodded.

"Katara," Sansetsu called, before frowning she approached. "As much as I'd love to be the one to beat the ever-living shit out of pipsqueak here, I can't bend, so you need to be the stand in for Innua."

"Wait," Aang objected quickly, "I'm not going to fight Katara!"

"Why not?" Sansetsu balked, and Katara rest her hands against her hips. "You heard her, she reckons she's better than Innua, who better to train against?"

"He's right, Aang."

Aang bit his lip. He wasn't comfortable getting Katara involved in this, not least of all because he was still not one hundred percent confident that he wouldn't lose control again. He had drained that tree without so much as a second thought, not even intending to use bending that powerful, there was every chance that he could hurt Katara by mistake.

"You have control now," Katara said, as if reading his thoughts and concern worn on his face. "And I can handle myself, you know that."

"I don't doubt that!" Aang protested. "But what if I hurt you by mistake?"

"Then we take it easy to start," Sansetsu said with an exasperated sigh. "You wanna learn to fight Tonrar or what?"

Aang shifted uncomfortably, but Katara had clear made the decision for him, taking a few steps back, her hands braced either side as, with one swift circular motion, she drew all the water from the grass around her. Sansetsu grinned at this.

"Look, have a safe word or something if you're so worried," Sansetsu said, and Aang did not miss the clear excitement in his voice. "Make it _monkey feathers_." Aang shot him an irritated glare.

"Right." He looked back at Katara, raising his eyebrows in question, but she just nodded, looking back at him resolutely.

"The point here is to use the environment around you to block her," Sansetsu said. "You know you can bend the trees, so bend the trees! And you know you can kick up a storm, so kick up a storm!"

Aang swallowed. He knew he had done those things in the past when his emotions had run high, but he certainly didn't know if he could do them now. Especially when he knew he would be holding back so as not to hurt Katara.

"Katara, don't take it easy on him," Sansetsu called, as he backed up to a safe distance. "He's the Avatar, he can handle it."

Katara nodded. Aang opened his mouth to ask her if she was sure, to check that she was comfortable with this, but before he could make a sound she made her move, whipping out the water in front of her in stark imitation of Innua. Aang had only an instant to react, bring the earth up before him to break her attack.

"Good!" Sansetsu called. "Now push it further!"

Aang did not enjoy the experience at all. Sparring against Katara was nothing new to either of them, but even when they had been training to fight Ozai there had still been a degree of enjoyment between the two of them, but this spar was different. He saw no pleasure on Katara's face, just grim determination, and for the first time he could imagine what it was like to truly have to fight against her. She didn't want to hurt him, he knew that, but she was also clever enough to know that taking it easy on him was not going to help him, and so she attacked with almost all that she had. Aang did not lash out at her, instead keeping his focus on defense. At least this way he could go all out without less risk of accidentally hurting her.

He still wasn't sure entirely what Sansetsu wanted of him. He knew he could bend the earth, that was no new revelation, but he could hear the past-Avatar getting frustrated on the side lines as Aang drew up his defenses, demanding more. Katara favoured the whip that they had both seen Innua use, and though it was not a form that she was familiar with, she used it masterfully none-the-less, her agile body twisting as it coiled and sprung from around her waist. She split the whip into three as she kicked out, the water spreading wide and attacking him from either side and above, and Aang knew that she was trying to push him. Hands furled into fists he drew then sharply together, the earth creating a barrier over him. Of course, earthbending was easy for him now, he had mastered it long ago, but in the Spirit World he realised that it gave into his will so willingly it was like twirling his fingers in water, the world around him feeling almost fluid, and he decided to see how far he could take this. Instead of stepping out from under his barrier, or bring it down, he instead let his body sink into the earth beneath his feet like he was sinking into a hot bath, the earth falling flat down over him. From Katara's perspective he had simply disappeared, and she blinked, looking above her in some confusion, wondering if he had jumped and she had not noticed. For Aang, he suddenly found himself death and blind, only the vibrations from the earth around him giving him any guide as he all but swam through the earth, spiraling and breaking the surface behind her. The earth hardly made a sound, it was like putty in his hands, and he found the sensation exhilarating. Gotami had not been wrong, he was far more powerful here.

He gently blew a gust of air towards her, picking up her hair as she swung around, surprised to see him now standing behind her.

"How'd you do that?" she asked, even as she twisted on her heel, propelling the water whip towards him. He disappeared again, and this time she saw him sink into the earth, her eyebrows raising, before he appeared not a few moments later to her left.

"Good!" Sansetsu called. "You're pushing the boundaries, but it's more than just bending the elements. Remember, the Spirit World is made up of spiritual energy and you can bend that too!"

Katara gave him no time to steady himself, launching another attack on him, this time injecting some of her own bending moves into the mix. She drew yet more water from the grass around her, her body stepping into the forms with ease as she bent a spiral of water around him that tightened. The water didn't make contact, however, a bubble of air forming around him and blasting outwards, breaking her wave and scattering her water. If he was facing Innua, this would have been the key time to launch his own attack, using the water he dispensed as a projectile, and perhaps against Innua this would have been enough to disable her, but now was not the time to test that. The water shed around him, and he held out his hands out to freeze it, dragging the pieces back down to the ground and creating a ring of sharp ice around him. He saw a smile grace Katara's features for the briefest moment, hinting at the pride she still held for her best pupil, before she took the ice from him, firing it straight back at him. He knew that she wouldn't allow for it to make contact, she had incredible control over the water that she bent, regardless of the speed she attacked at, but he still felt a slight tug of panic in his chest, his instincts alerting him to the danger. Sansetsu was throwing his hands in the air in the side-lines, frustrated that Aang had taken to just bending the elements again, and in a flash of inspiration Aang took a deep breath of air and held his hands flat, before dragging them and making a pinching motion with his hands. He had to test his abilities.

In a instant the grass at his feet reached up, growing at an incredible speed as he bent the spiritual energy at his feet as easy as he would the earth, the blades of grass sharp as they sliced through the ice that Katara threw at him. It felt, he realised, not unlike going into the Avatar State in his world. He was used to feeling the hum and the pull of the elements, but here he could feel everything. If he reached out he could see further than even he could do with his seismic sense. Everything here, in this world, was just energy, just as Sansetsu had said. Katara had hesitated, taken aback. She had seen benders use the water inside of plants before, she herself had done it more than once, but Aang had done more than that. He had made the grass grow. She breathed heavily, looking at him as she saw the realisation dawn on him, his features lighting up with wonder. He caught her eyes, and she realised that she could not let his lesson end here. She had to push him further, he had to see just how much he could achieve in this world.

Sansetsu looked as though he couldn't quite believe it, he was more relieved than he could say, but that relief turned swiftly to confusion as he watched Katara launch a new attack, this time her movements fast and viscous. Aang was quick to respond, though truthfully he had not expected her to follow on from his defense, using the grass beneath him to break her attacks. There wasn't much else in his immediate surroundings that he could use, sure there was the treeline further off, but he would never be able to pull them to his aid before Katara's attacks hit him, she was much too fast, but he knew that she was expecting more from him. It was harder for him to reach out to the spiritual energy around him when he was trying to fend off her attacks, and he quickly found that he needed to rely on his air and waterbending again in order to hold her back. He realised that defense, perhaps, was not enough. He knew, as well as Katara did, that defense alone would not stop Innua, would not stop Tonrar. He needed to learn to attack too, and if he could not find the courage to use his abilities against her, how could he find it in himself to attack with intent to harm when it came to the final showdown? He growled low in his throat, frowning, not wanting to attack her but knowing he had little other choice. Katara, as perceptive as she ever was, could see the conflict in his eyes, and she grit her teeth, no longer allowing herself to hold back as she stepped sharply to her left, her hands held out flat as she whipped out at him with the freezing water whip with such ferocity that Aang was not prepared to defend, whipping at his side and catching his arm. He winced as he felt the whip break his skin, and it was like something clicked in his head.

He stepped hard to his left, his heel hitting the ground, and with his seismic sense and his ability to see the world through the spiritual energy that spread out around him his awareness grew. He could sense the blood pumping around Katara's body, her sharp breaths, and he could feel Sansetsu most acutely, his entire being just as much spiritual energy as the world around him and suddenly it made sense to him. If he wanted, he could control Sansetsu, too. Could he control other spirits? Was this how Tonrar was able to control the spirits? He launched an attack on Katara, the grass shooting up and grabbing her around the wrists, pulling her down to her knees. It may have been enough to immobalise a weaker opponent, but Katara was not weak, and he could sense her reacting, reaching out to the water within the grass even as it wrapped around her wrists and up her arms. He pulled the earth beneath her feet up as it spiralled around her body until, finally, she was left unable to move, her hands pulling against the bindings, grunting with the effort. But she was beaten, and he dropped his stance, taking a deep breath.

"Are you ok?" he asked, hurrying up to her even as he dropped his control of the grass, it wilting and dying, the earth cracking and collapsing back at her feet. She stood unsteadily, holding her wrists, but nodded, out of breath.

"I'm fine," she said. He quickly took her elbows, kissing her against the temple before inspecting her wrists. They were pink, but he was relieved to see he had not caused any damage.

"That was pretty good," she said to him. He could see the pride in her eyes, but her smile was pained, and he knew it wasn't because of her sore wrists.

"I can't fucking believe that actually worked."

The pair looked over to see Sansetsu, a little wide eyed, walking towards them looking at the destruction they had caused. " _What?_ " Aang cried. "This was your idea!"

"Yeh, but I still wasn't certain you could actually do it," Sansetsu replied. Aang felt a gentle tugging on his arm, and looked down to see that Katara had set to work healing his cut.

"Your faith in me, as ever, is inspiring," Aang sighed. Sansetsu just shrugged, a self satisfied grin on on his face as he eyed Aang in an expression that could be described as little other than greedy.

"You could actually do this, you know," he said keenly, "we might actually stand a chance of beating Tonrar after all."

"There's no denying that Aang's power here is great," Katara said, "but we've still got Innua and all of Tonrar's spirits to contend with."

"Right, but any bending spirits he might have can only bend the elements. Trap Tonrar in some gnarly old tree and we'll be laughing."

"Right ..." Aang frowned, thinking over Sansetsu's words. "The option is still there, then. To trap Tonrar, not ..." he hesitated.

"Kill him?" Sansetsu finished, and his tone was vehement again, his upper lip curling. "Don't you fucking flake on me again, pipsqueak. We're here to kill Tonrar, you got that? That's the only way any of this ends for good!"

But, Aang knew what he had felt when he had been fighting Katara. He could still feel it now, the spiritual aura eminating from Sansetsu as he stood so close to him, and he couldn't help but wonder if he could use this. Could he control Tonrar? Could he find a way to stop him without killing him?

"There's more to it than that," Aang said, softly. He was alarmed to see frustration on even Katara's face. "I think I can do more than just control the spiritual energy here."

"What do you mean?" Sansetsu snapped.

"I ... well, I wonder if I can control the spirits, too."

A silence fell at this, Katara's sharp intake of breath the only thing to be heard as they stared at him with wide eyes. He wasn't sure what they were thinking, and he avoided their gaze, looking down at the grass as he thought over the possibilities.

"What makes you think that's the case?" Sansetsu asked, his voice quiet as he looked at him.

"It's just a thought," Aang said hurriedly. "I don't even know if it's possible, but the spirits are just spiritual energy too, right? If I can calm them, can I also control them?"

Sansetsu bit his lower lip, his expression darkening.

"As I said, it's just a thought," Aang repeated, trying to push a lightness to his voice once again. "I know you said we should spend the day here, but I think we'd be better off if we keep going now. I've learned enough."

"Right," Sansetsu said, though he seemed decidedly distracted. "Sure, let's make a move."

The minds of the three travellers were heavily burdened that day as they walked. As much as Aang was encouraged by his achievements these last few days, from mastering the Avatar State again to learning that he could control far more than just the elements in this world, he was still troubled. Sansetsu still fully expected him to kill Tonrar, and he was sure that he expected him to kill Innua too if she decided to face against them, and as much as he felt he had accepted that fact, he could not deny that what he had felt when feeling the spiritual energy around them had changed things. But, testing that theory would be difficult, not least of all because the idea of controlling any spirit disgusted him. Would it make him no better than Tonrar? Could he justify taking away the autonomy of a spirit just for his own gain? _It would be better than taking their life_ , he thought darkly as he walked. But when he considered how it had felt to be controlled, how much it had torn at his very soul, he wasn't sure that it was any kinder than death.

For Katara, she could not see the conflict going on inside of Aang's head, and as such could not stop the panic that had risen every since Aang had brought up the subject of controlling a spirit. She could see the clear parallel between that ability, and one of her own ... bloodbending. The spirits, as she had long learned and seen in this world, were not thoughtless, unintelligent animals that wandered this world. They had their own thoughts, feelings ... they had a soul, near enough. Sure, if anyone deserved to have their control taken from them it would be Tonrar, but she was certain Aang could control Tonrar no more than she could have bloodbent Azula or anyone else. And yet, their world was at stake. Would Aang push himself beyond his own morals? Would he have any other choice?

Sansetsu remained quiet as they walked. His thoughts were dark, and they were his own, and for once Katara felt no inclination to pry.

Eventually, after a long day's walk, they decided to rest. The grassland was starting to grow sparse, the ground beneath their feet dryer and harsher, and they found that there were less spirits here, fewer of them wanting to haunt these desolate looking plains. It was to their advantage, however, and Aang was able to preserve much of his strength, only needing to calm a small handful of spirits as they had travelled. Aang quickly set up camp for them beneath a lone tree, as limited as their camp was. Tall rocks either side of them provided some privacy, though little security, and with the sky growing orange above them it felt like the last oasis that they would find before all vegetation gave way to rock yet again. He started a fire, using the old dry branches from the tree that overlooked their little camp, noting again just how cold it was starting to get.

Sansetsu stayed quiet as they quickly ate some of the fruit that they had gathered back in the forest. They were running low on supplies yet again, and with the forest far behind them they knew that it wouldn't be long before it started to cause an issue again. Somehow, Aang was sure that this wasn't the cause of Sansetsu's concerns, casting a look in his direction as the past-Avatar sat down on a rock, watching the fire. He caught Katara's eye, and she just shrugged weakly, as if to say that whatever was on Sansetsu's mind was likely the last of their concerns at this point. Aang was half inclined to agree, but he could not help but notice that Sansetsu's new state of disturbed contemplation had started as soon as he had mentioned controlling spirits.

Sure enough, Sansetsu finally broached the subject, taking both Aang and Katara both by surprise as they decided to settle down to sleep.

"What made you think about controlling spirits?" he asked brashly, his gaze falling heavily on Aang even as he looked up in surprise.

"I told you," Aang replied evenly, "they're spiritual energy too, right?"

"Right, but it seems a strange time for a thought like that to come to you."

Aang frowned. He wasn't sure, really, why Sansetsu was as bothered by this as he appeared to be, but he decided that the truth was probably best in this instance.

"It just ... came to me," he said, rubbing the back of his head in discomfort. "When I combined the seismic sense with feeling the spiritual energy around me I realised that I could feel your energy too, just as strongly. Maybe more so."

Sansetsu just hummed, his face a grimace as he looked back into the fire. Katara glanced between the two Avatar's, wary.

"I don't know that I could," Aang continued. That in itself was a lie, in fact he was sure that he could have done if he had tried in that moment. "But I think if I had wanted to I could have tried to control you." Sansetsu winced, and Aang swallowed. "I suppose that's how Tonrar does it, right? He manipulates the spiritual energy inside of the spirits? Inside the Avatar Spirit, too."

"I'm sure that has something to do with it," Sansetsu grumbled.

"It doesn't matter, either way," Aang assured, keen to put an end to this discussion. "I'm not Tonrar, and I'm not willing to manipulate any spirit just to see if I can. And, even if I could, Tonrar is too powerful."

Sansetsu didn't respond, simply picking at his nails and focusing on the fire. Aang watched him for a moment longer, but just as he became confident that the conversation was over, Sansetsu took a deep breath.

"Try it," he said, "on me."

Aang blinked, immediately affronted that Sansetsu would suggest it.

"No," he replied immediately. "I don't want to, and _you_ don't want me to, either."

Sansetsu scoffed, looking back at him. "Well, ain't that a fucking surprise."

"You might not give a damn about yourself any more," Aang retorted, his words coming out far more vehemently than he intended, "but I've got to go on living after all this. I'm not doing it, Sansetsu."

Katara looked cautiously between the two.

"Well, you want to know if you can, right?" Sansetsu countered, his own voicing raising in response. "You really wanna wait until you're standing in front on Tonrar to find out?"

"You wanted me to kill Tonrar," Aang cried, exhasperated. "So, what is it? Make your mind up!"

"I want to be sure that he's not coming back!" Sansetsu yelled, getting to his feet suddenly and glaring down at the younger Avatar, his grey eyes stormy. Aang grit his teeth, biting back his own angry retort, willing his heart to stop hammering so furiously. "I need to know that, if you fail to kill him, you've at least got an ace up your sleeve to stop the bastard."

Aang looked away. "Why would you even consider this?" he asked, his voice sounding tired. "Isn't it bad enough that you've had to go through it already with Tonrar?"

Sansetsu's nostrils flared, and for a moment his resolve seemed to falter, a shadow passing across his face. Katara could see the hurt clearly in his eyes, the slither of fear that seemed to cross them, before his brow settled into it's familiar frown, lips curling with little less than disdain.

"How I deal with it is no damn business of yours," he said shortly.

"This isn't a good idea." Katara spoke now, getting both of their attention. "You saw it, Aang, how much that control changed Tonrar. This is too big a risk!"

"Right, but it's better than killing Tonrar, huh?" Sansetsu sneered, waving his hand as if her comments were of no importance to him. "Or his daughter too?"

Aang shut his eyes. He knew it, as well as any of them did, if killing Tonrar was going to be difficult for him, them Innua even more so. He had not been able to kill her for Koh, he could not kill her now.

"Fine," he sighed. Katara stood up, eyes wide.

"What? You can't be serious-"

"He's serious, now drop it," Sansetsu interupted, his expression grim despite winning the argument.

"Don't you _dare_ , Sansetsu," Katara hissed, before rounding on Aang. "Aang, you can't do this."

He looked up at her, his expression pained. "Look, he's right, Katara. I keep trying to find a way out of this, you know? A way where I don't have to end Tonrar's life ... what if this is it?"

She breathed heavily, shaking her head and just willing for him to listen to her, but he averted his gaze before he, too, got to his feet. Sansetsu, for all his insistance, looked less than confident as Aang turned to face him. Aang did not miss the fear in his features, try as the past-Avatar might to hide it, and that just only made it harder for him. He swallowed, taking a deep breath. He didn't need to focus too much, he realised, he could still feel Sansetsu's energy strongly, and he reached out to it just as he had the grass. Sansetsu quickly took a battle stance, shrugging at the quizzical look that briefly flashed across Aang's face.

"Gotta make it real."

"Right."

Without warning, Sansetsu charged, hands clawed and ready to tackle the Avatar to the ground, and Aang found himself momentarily grateful that he had been able to reach Sansetsu's aura so easily, as he held his arm straight, palm up. If he had not been so caught up in his head he would have easily recognised the stance as one that Tonrar had taken against him so often, and Sansetsu on his part felt the terror run through him long before he felt his body grind to a halt. It was frighteningly familiar, he felt a pain spread across him as though his skin was being bitten my thousands of poison ants, his head bursting with pain, and despite no longer having his physical body he knew very well that the sensation was virtually identical to what he had experienced by Tonrar's hands. He stopped, yelling out in pain as his arms were sharply clamped at his side, his legs shaking and threatening to buckle beneath him.

For Aang, the power that had burst from his finger tips rivalled even his experiences with the Avatar State, an exhilerating rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins as, at first, he seemed unable to recognise the pain on Sansetsu's face, even as the past-Avatar yelled. He focused only on keeping Sansetsu from moving, before he felt the air forced from his lungs as he finally allowed himself to see the agony stretched across Sansetsu's features and he relinquished his hold.

Sansetsu dropped to his knees, gasping, holding one hand to his head as the other shook as it supported him. For a moment, no one could speak, Aang feeling the bile rise to his throat, anger at himself and at Sansetsu for convincing him to try this.

"Shit," Sansetsu managed finally, getting unsteadily to his feet.

"Sunny, are you-" but Sansetsu held up his hand, stopping Aang where he stood.

"I'm fine," he growled. "Quit coddling me for fuck sake."

Aang swallowed, recognising the shudders of pain that still jolted across Sansetsu's body, but he held back anyway.

"Katara was right, this was a stupid idea," he admonished himself. But Sansetsu threw him a dark glare.

"Oh shut up, you know you can now, right?" It seemed that Sansetsu reacted to this pain much like he did anything, his anger clear. "Just make sure you try and use it against Tonrar and we're square."

But Aang could see that Sansetsu was not ok. The pain was one thing, but the shadow over his face had only darkened, and he could see him, perhaps subcosciously stepping away from them, retreating into himself.

"Let me help, Sansetsu," Katara said, stepping forward and pulling a thread of water from her hipflask, but Sansetsu only directed his cold glare at her, his lip curling.

"I said I'm fine, didn't I?" he snapped. "Spirits, don't make such a big deal out of it. Go get some sleep or have some of your boring vanilla sex and leave me alone a bit, why don't you?"

He set his shoulders and marched past them, before jumping gracefully up into the tree under which they had set up camp, turning his back on them. Aang felt torn, sick to his stomach. He thought he was done making such stupid mistakes and hurting people, but it hadn't taken long for him to be convinced to try controlling Sansetsu. He felt a gentle tug at his side and looked down to see Katara gesturing for him to come lay down, a half-hearted shrug on her shoulders. He could see that she was disappointed in him, sad even, and that only lay heavier on his heart as, with one last glance up at the past-Avatar, he lay down beside her. It took a long time for him to sleep that night, lying so that he could still look frutively in Sansetsu's direction, but the airbender never moved, keeping his gaze out over the rocky plains before he finally fell asleep.

For Sansetsu, the sensation was torture. He knew that he shouldn't direct his anger at the kids. He had, after all, convinced Aang to do it, and he was sure at the time that he could handle it, but he had not been more wrong. He sat in the tree, his knees pulled up close to his chest, grimacing as the waves of pain still washed over him. He wasn't sure it was even possible to feel this much pain in the Spirit World, until now. Sure, his body still felt sensations, he'd taken enough beatings from Aang lately to feel that, but this was a different kind of pain. It brought memories with it, shakes of fear running over his entire body when he remembered the way Tonrar's red eyes and gleamed at him as he had held out his hand a pushed him into the Avatar State, just before he took his own life. He remembered raising his own hands, pulling the air from the lungs of a child, standing by and watching with such fury in his heart as the boy had died right in front of him, reaching out and gasping for breath. With a low snarl he pulled his body tighter in on itself, glancing down to see that the pipsqueak had finally stopped watching him and fallen asleep. It was then that he felt the fear fire like a dart to the heart as he looked at the younger man's face, and it was all he could do not to gasp. His body trembled, his mind making the unwanted yet fast connections between the boy below him and the pain that he felt, and he dragged his eyes away.

"Shit," he hissed.

He couldn't stay, he realised quite suddenly. He couldn't offer them any more help anyway, what more was there to teach him? Right now, he couldn't stay. It hurt, he was afraid, and he had to get away. He knew his leaving would upset the pipsqueak, and probably anger Katara, but his staying here would only cause more problems now. He had to go. He needed space. He needed to forget again. He cast one final look around, satisfied that no spirit's were around watching, before he dropped silently from the tree, starting his own slow journey back the way that they had come.


	30. Ask the Dust

**Caldera**

"Toph! Toph, you need to wake up!"

The blind earthbender, still deep in sleep, mumbled and swiped out with a strong arm, trying to beat whichever individual was foolish enough to decide to try and wake her, before she felt a large hand grab her wrist, holding it away from them.

"Toph!" the voice hissed, more insistent this time. "It's me, come on, get up."

She grumbled, wrenching her arm back from the rough fingers before she rubbed her face, scowling.

"Snoozles?" she said, hoarsely. Truth be told, she had not heard much from Sokka since the events of two days ago, the young man walking in on her and Kanto sharing their first kiss before losing his temper. Aside from the awkwardness that wedged between them, she had caused herself far more damage that she had initially realised by being out in the field for as long as she had been. It was taking her far longer to recover, and she was still tender now, the familiar pain spreading from her hips to her chest, but the urgency in Sokka's voice quickly put that pain to the back of her mind.

"They've been spotted," he hissed, "the Northern Water Tribe. They're even closer than we thought."

That was enough to fully wake her, and she sat up, wincing at the pain but none-the-less alert.

"What?" she breathed. "Are you serious? I thought we still had a few days left!"

"I'm serious," Sokka sighed, "I wish I wasn't."

"But ... we're not ready!" Toph cried, getting from the bed and placing her feet on the cold hard stone beneath, growling under her breath as she grabbed her side, the pain spreading. She could feel clearly now the rapid beating of Sokka's heart, the panic evident.

"I'm not sure that matters, Toph," Sokka replied, his throat tight. "We've got a day, maybe, left to prepare before they arrive on Fire Nation shores. It's happening."

She could not fail to hear the strain in his voice. He was frightened, she realised, something that scared her more than the three thousand strong army almost at their doors. But, he was also determined. He had accepted what was coming, and he was going to fight it.

"Where's everyone else?"

"In the Throne Room," he replied. "I volunteered to come and get you."

"Right." She could, she supposed, of commented on the fact that he had not been to see her at all since he had caught she and Kanto, but she decided against her, instead grabbing her heavy bed robe from the table to the side and wrapping it tightly around herself. There'd be time to dress properly later, she reasoned. Sokka took a second, making sure that she was ready, before leading her to the Throne Room.

It was frustrating, she realised as half way she had had to pause, gasping and holding onto her side, that she was still in such a terrible state. The war had almost arrived at their doors. At her best, she knew that she was arguably one of the strongest fighters among them, if not _the_ best now that the Avatar himself was elsewhere, but she would be the first to admit that half her best might still not be enough. Begrudgingly she let Sokka wrap his arm around her waist, supporting her as she hobbled along. It was embarrassing.

When they arrived in the Throne Room, her senses were almost affronted by the different emotions and pulsing heartbeats of all her friends gathered there. She felt a small swoop of satisfaction in her stomach as she recognized Dekho standing back at his customary space at the door, and quickly reached out to squeeze his elbow as she passed. She could not then fail to sense Kanto among them, his breath catching as he saw her in such a vulnerable state, and with Sokka's arm around her, but she was surprised too to feel Suki's heart skip a beat at the sight as well, the girl making a movement as if to stand and help before deciding better of it. But, what shocked her most of all, was Zuko. He was worried, of course he was, but he was controlled, steady, calm even. He had grown, she realised, he had grown but stronger and stronger and the rest of them hadn't even noticed.

"Toph," Zuko said, getting to his feet from his place with them on the table. "Are you ok?"

"I'd feel better if people would quit asking me that," she snapped, pulling herself free from Sokka before taking her seat beside Kanto. She could sense the tension still between the two water tribe men, but they remained civil, Sokka going to sit between his father and Suki.

"So, Snoozles here tells me it's the end times."

"Well ... hopefully not," Zuko sighed, sitting back down again. "But they are nearly here, two days early in fact, and we need to prepare."

"The scouts think that the Northern Tribe will be on us in less that twenty four hours," said Suki, on Zuko's right. "You guys have done well with the barricade, Sokka and Kanto fortunately checked the last of them this morning before we heard back from the scouts."

"Together?" Toph quipped, unable to stop herself. "Does this mean you've put your differences aside?"

"For the time being," Sokka replied, not so non-nonchalantly cracking his knuckles. Kanto just grinned wryly back at him.

"Well, that's something I suppose," Toph sighed.

"We have started to move all the civilians in the harbor up to Caldera," Suki continued, her voice tight. "Something that we really thought we'd have more time to do considering how difficult we've made it for ourselves to get everyone up here now."

"Shit, that's a point."

"We've got people here sorting out shelter for everyone, Xing Ying and Yee-Li already out on the field with Appa and Yuva carting the sick and elderly up, but we've already come across a problem."

"What's that?" Sokka asked.

Suki exchanged a glance with Zuko, something passing between the two of them before Zuko rubbed his face tiredly, showing for the first time that he was indeed struggling.

"Not everyone is willing to leave their homes," Suki confirmed. Toph felt her eyebrows rise.

"Some people want to stay and fight," he explained. "They've lost enough already, they're not willing to leave their homes as well."

"But, they'll get to back to their homes after it's all over!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "Don't they know that?"

"I'm not sure everyone is convinced that there will be an 'after it's all over', Ty Lee," Suki sighed. "The Northern Tribe's army is visible on the horizon now, we can't hide from anyone just how big an army it is. Some of the people would rather die protecting their homes than hide in Caldera."

"So, what do we do?" Hakoda asked. "Force them to join us in Caldera?"

"We've tried that," Zuko replied, "to as best of our abilities. But I cannot risk any of my forces getting attacked by passionate civilians. I am not my father, I am not going to bring anyone back here under the threat of death, be it in their best interests or otherwise. If they want to stay and protect their homes then that is not an honor I will deny any man who asks it. In the meantime, we have to focus on protecting Caldera."

"That's cold, Zuko," Sokka said. For a moment it seemed as thought Zuko would round on him, but the Firelord kept his cool, his jaw set.

"That as it may be, we do not have the time. At the rate in which the Northern Tribe is advancing they'll be on us before nightfall tomorrow. So, we have an advantage right now; firebenders are strongest during the day."

"And Hanh knows that," Kanto said. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but none of us in the North have forgotten the siege six years ago. They know when they'll be at their most powerful, and when the Fire Nation at it's most vulnerable."

"Then it stands to reason that they'll wait until nightfall before launching their biggest attack on their target," Zuko replied. "Which they'll quickly realise is here, in Caldera. They'll have to negotiate the barricades during the day."

"I think we're all in agreement that the plan here is to hold off the Northern army until Aang returns," Suki said. Toph raised her eyebrows.

"That's news to me," she said, and she sensed that Sokka too was taken back.

"Wait, when did we decide this?"

"We don't want to kill them," Zuko replied. "There's been enough death these last one hundred years. And, let's face it, if Aang doesn't come back soon then none of this matters anyway. The world hasn't long left."

The group shifted uncomfortably. It was one thing fighting a battle to save themselves, to secure the future of the Fire Nation, but the truth was that they were fighting a battle that could very well be their last before the world ended. No one knew that form this world's end would take ... a large enough natural disaster that no one could survive? Would the spirit's break through into their world and slaughter them all? Or would the world simply just cease to be, consumed? None of them could predict what was to come, but if the darkening orange sky above them was any indication then Zuko was right, they would be finding out sooner rather than later.

"You're right," Toph said heavily. "Trust me, it pisses me off just as much as the rest of you, but if Aang doesn't sort things out in the Spirit World whether we win or lose this battle isn't going to matter."

"Hey, maybe Aang will come back with some super spirit army or something?" Sokka offered, half-heartedly.

"Aang knows the war is coming, thanks to Xing Ying," Zuko said. "We can only hope he's doing everything he can to get back to us as soon as possible."

 **The Spirit World**

When Aang and Katara woke the net morning, it was to find themselves alone. Sansetsu was not sat in the tree where he had left them when they had finally drifted off, and as much as Katara assured that the past-Avatar would be back, that he had likely just scouted ahead, Aang knew deep down that Sansetsu had left them. But what hurt him more than anything was his shock that it had happened. Sure, his control over Sansetsu the previous night had likely awakened some bad memories in the past-Avatar, but he was so certain that they had grown close enough now that Sansetsu wouldn't just up and leave them like this. He wasn't sure if he was angrier, or sadder, and he did his best to guard his emotions from Katara as she tried to stay hopefully. He had taken things too far, finally he had over-stepped his mark, and Sansetsu had left.

"We can stay here a little bit longer," Katara offered, her hand on his shoulder. "He was upset, I know, but he could come back."

"He's not coming back," Aang sighed. "It's just us now."

Katara offered him a pained smile, her hand squeezing his shoulder, before he stepped past her, turning his focus forwards rather than back.

"We don't know how time works here compared to our world," he said, "but we can't assume that the Fire Nation isn't already fighting the Northern Water Tribe by now. We could be running out of time to help them."

"You still think that's a possibility?" Katara asked, painfully. "Aang I ... I want to have hope, but it's been days since we last saw Xing Ying, I'd say it's unlikely that we'll stand a chance now to get home before the war starts. The best thing we can do right now is focus on saving the world and trust that our friends are strong enough to handle this on their own."

"I just ... I cannot understand why Hanh would start a war, now of all times," Aang breathed.

"Maybe he doesn't even know the world is going to end," Katara reasoned. "You think for a second that Innua was honest with any of them about what was going on?"

 _No_ , he though to himself. He didn't suppose that she would have been. Which mean that an army right now was threatening his friends, the entire Fire Nation, not knowing that the world was already on the brink of disaster. And his friends ... would they have the strength and conviction to face this when they already knew what was coming if Aang did not succeed? It did not bear thinking about.

"You're probably right about that," Aang sighed. "I guess it only makes it more important for us get back to our world as soon as possible." He hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder at the tree under which they had slept, and that he had last seen Sansetsu. "It's going to be harder without Sunny to keep watch, but we've dealt with worse."

"I don't think he's left us completely, Aang," Katara said. "I know you disagree, but Sansetsu would come if we needed him, I just know it."

He curiously looked across at her. He wasn't sure why Katara had so much trust in the past-Avatar, but he hadn't the will-power to argue with her at this point, instead just choosing to hope that she was right. At this point, he had to admit, they may not need Sansetsu quite as much. After all, he had learned how to master the Avatar State again, he had discovered his new abilities here in the Spirit World, including that he was capable of controlling spirits should he need to. Sansetsu had probably helped them all that he could now, and maybe that was a factor in his decision to leave them. But ... he breathed a heavy sigh. It had been more than just having Sansetsu's help. He had hoped that he could help him, that maybe there was something that he could have done that would have helped the past-Avatar to find peace. Maybe, when all this was over, he would try and find him again. He could guess where he might find him.

After a moment to eat and toilet, the pair decided to get going, Katara at last accepting that there was little point in waiting for Sansetsu. The mood was low as they walked, both consumed by their own guilt; Aang that he had given in to Sansetsu's request so quickly and, in so doing, had driven the past-Avatar away, and Katara that she had not fought hard enough against the idea. She had known that Sansetsu wouldn't have been able to handle it, as much as he had insisted otherwise, and she knew that the guilt would affect Aang greatly. It was hard not to feel irritated, to not be angry at the both of them. They had not listened to her, and it had been to their folly, yet again. She was starting to wonder if there was some inherent stubbornness inbuilt in all the Avatar's that automatically made them think they they knew better. Or perhaps it was a male thing. She sighed heavily, blowing the hair from her face. Aang cast her a sideways glance, his stomach lurching at the expression on her face.

They walked for the better part of two hours before Aang started to grow decidedly unsettled. They had not seen a single spirit, and whilst they had realised that there were less of them here than in the grasslands they had left behind, it was still strange not to have seen anything living here. There was still crevices in the rock, still some undergrowth, plenty of places for spirits to reside if they had wanted to. But instead it was entirely devoid of any intelligent presence. He voice his concern to Katara, who seemed to mirror his discomfort.

"Maybe all the spirits were sent to the grasslands from here?" she offered, rubbing her goose-pimpled arms. "Perhaps there wasn't that many to start with?"

"Maybe," Aang agreed. "Or maybe they all ran away when they realised Tonrar was coming?"

"If that's the case, then that means it can't have been that long ago since he passed through here," Katara replied, and this time her voice lowered, glancing ahead of them almost as if she expected the spirit to suddenly appear on the horizon. Aang bit his upper lip, keeping a keen watch about them. There was no reason to assume she had been anything less than right.

Eventually they came across a sight far more disturbing than the lack of spirits, and a sight that might have answered their questions, and Aang with his keen eyesight had grabbed Katara, pulling her close to him and pulling a piece of rock up before them as cover, his eyes narrowed over the top of it.

"What?" Katara hissed.

"There's something ahead of us, I can't quite make it out ... it looks almost like ..." he frowned, before taking a deep breath and placing his palm on the ground. He reached out with his energy first, nothing the complete devoid of spirits yet again but realising that he was not wrong that there was something ahead of them. He pressed his heel down now, before he felt his breath freeze in his chest.

"What is it?" Katara pressed, urgently, not liking the look on his face. He glanced over at her, before roughly grabbing her hand.

"Stay close to me."

Confused and undeniably alarmed, Katara followed him as he inched around the rock, his eyes fixed on the dark mass lying on the ground that, as they drew closer, began more and more to resemble what could only be a body. Katara felt her blood run cold as her eyes took in the stillness of the dark shape, spread out on the ground, her eyes instantly darting about them. Aang was cautious, but she knew that he would have been able to sense if there were any spirits close to them, yet she still found herself shamefully glad when Aang gently pushed her behind him, taking the lead.

"Aang, is that-" but her voice caught in her throat as they found themselves looking down at what could only be the body of a spirit. It looked like many of the minor spirits that they had met on their travels, especially most recently. Minor in the sense that it was most likely not a named spirit, such as Koh, the Spirit of Fortune or ... Tonrar. It looked vaguely humanoid in that it had two arms, two legs, and probably once stood upright, but it's face more closely resembled that of a bird, feathers covering it's body. But that was far from what stood out most about it. No, the bulging sightless eyes, the beak spread wide in a silent scream, and the way the skin visible had sunk in on itself, the spirit seeming more like a husk in the shape of a creature. Aang, his hand shaking slightly, reached out to touch it's feathered arm, almost as if he were trying to read any remnants of energy from the spirit, but as soon as his fingers made pressure, the arm disintegrated, starting a chain reaction across it's entire body, collapsing in on itself. Katara gasped, and Aang made an odd choking noise as he pulled his hand back, until a rust coloured heap was all that remained, the breeze spreading it across the stone.

For a heartbeat neither of them spoke, just looking in shock down at the red stained stone. Neither of them failed to recognise the significance of the remains, having seen parts of the world crumble in much the same way when Aang had been forced into the Avatar State, and for a stomach wrenching moment Aang felt his mind race, his first irrational thought was that he, somehow, had done this. That he was responsible. But Katara's hand on his arm dragged him back to reality and he let out an unsteady breath.

"What could have done this?" Katara breathed, unable to drag her eyes away.

Aang didn't know what to think. Could it have been Tonrar? Was he no longer content with controlling the spirits, now he was killing them too? But no, if Tonrar had been capable of that then he could have finished Aang off long ago. Something else was responsible for this, something dark and evil.

"It could be another spirit," he replied, getting to his feet and looking around him. "It could explain why this area is so deserted?"

Katara didn't reply at first, still looking down at where the spirit had lay, a deep frown on her forehead. There was a disturbed look in her eyes, her teeth chewing on her lips and her hands shaking slightly, and Aang found himself leaning forward to get a good look at her, his concern rising.

"Katara?"

"It might not be a spirit," she said at last, meeting his gaze. "Not strictly."

For a moment, he could not fathom what she meant, what was here that was not strictly spirit? But with the aid of the desperate and despondent arch of her brows he found himself achingly coming to the same conclusion, his heart hammering as he looked back around them, his hand instinctively grasping her arm yet again.

"We don't know that," he said, almost defensively. "Sure, Innua might have some spiritual powers here but ... this?"

"Look, I don't know how all this spirit stuff works," Katara replied honestly, "and I don't think anyone knows what happens when someone is half spirit. But Tonrar takes control of spirits, right? What if Innua's a step above that? What if she takes their power for herself?"

"Katara, that's a bit of a leap," Aang said. "It's more likely that there's a spirit round here responsible for this. I mean, we've seen spirits do stranger things."

"Stranger than seemingly sucking the spiritual energy out of another spirit?" Katara demanded, her eyebrows arched. "Aang, you need to at least consider the possibility that Innua could be responsible for this."

Aang fell silent, his mind racing. It was a huge assumption for Katara to make, and other than gut instinct he wasn't sure that he could understand what had lead her to it, but now that she had voiced her thoughts on the matter he also couldn't deny that Innua had been disturbingly absent the entire time that they had been in the Spirit World. She had used any opportunity she could, back in their world, to mess with him. And now, back here, she was silent?

"Ok, we'll keep it in mind," he said, his voice heavy with acceptance. "But we should be on high alert either way. Whether it's Innua or not there's something out here killing spirits, and we can't assume that being human makes us any safer."

" _I'm_ human," Katara corrected. "You've got a spirit inside you too, don't forget. I'll be on alert." It was her turn now to grip him tightly, and Aang felt the warm sensation in his limbs, both frightened and touched by her determination to look out for him.

"Ok, there's no sense hanging around here any longer, let's keep going. We've probably still got a lot of ground to cover before we find Tonrar."

Their journey deep into the center of the Spirit World only continued to grow more disturbing as time went on. The bird spirit was not the last that they would spot lying dried out and empty in their path, and the pair counted four in total before they next found a spot to come to a halt. Each spirit differed in appearance, yet the same expression was on the faces of each ... deathly terror. It became clear that something was hunting spirits in this part of the Spirit World, and until they saw the creature for themselves they still did not know what was responsible, be it spirit or part. Aang reached out constantly as they walked, but he had yet to detect a single living spirit about him, let alone whatever was responsible, but that failed to come as any sort of comfort to him. He could only hope that it was a spirit, and whichever spirit it was they would be able to avoid it's detection until they left it's territory.

Eventually something else caught their attention, a light scent on the breeze, causing them to look over at each other eagerly. As waterbenders, waterbenders craving their element at that, the smell of salt was impossible for them to ignore or fail to recognise. They were nearing a large body of water, of that they were certain, and despite the dangers around them they found themselves drawn irresistibly to the scent. It did not take them long to find it, a low cold fog rolling in, the ground turning from hard earth to soggy flats that threatened to suck their boots down with each step. It was hardly what they had hoped for, far from the gorgeous beach they had both secretly been wiling for. Instead a salty bog spread out before them that was almost impossible for them to walk across, let alone set up camp in, yet it was perhaps testament to just how much Katara had been craving her native element that she didn't seem the least bit phased, pulling her boots off and gratefully sinking her toes into the shallow depths. Aang wrinkled his nose.

"That's pretty gross," he chucked, as one of her slime covered feet squealged out of the bog as she took another step.

"Spirits, I don't care," she breathed with relief, "my feet are exhausted."

Aang certainly shared that sentiment. Sure, he had traveled across the entire world when he was just a kid, even before he had met Katara and the others, but he had had Appa for most of that time to bear the brunt of the traveling. He had never walked so much in his life, and he wouldn't be surprised if his boots had simply become a permanent smelly fixture on his body. He glanced sideways at Katara again, seeing the relief on her face and her shoulders sagging as the cool salty swamp water eased her aching feet, and decided that he would do the same, pulling off his boots and rolling up his trousers. It was gross, and he pulled his face as he felt whatever comprised the green-toned stodge swiftly suck his feet into the ground, but he couldn't deny the cold water on them eased the sting.

"See?" Katara said smugly.

He just shrugged, sticking his tongue out as he watched her bend up some of the water. The pair were so in sync by this point in their travels that he started to drag the earth and muck out of it before she asked, filtering it into something that would hopefully be drinkable before she filled up their hipflasks again. He had tasted swamp water, he had hoped he'd never be so desperate again, but then again he had never expected to spend months traveling the Spirit World.

"It's starting to get dark now," he said, looking up at the dimly lit sky. "I know we don't know how safe it is, but we should probably try and focus on finding somewhere to camp for the night."

Katara let out a sad and frustrated sigh, and he looked across at her with some alarm.

"Katara?"

"It's just ... another day, isn't it? Another day we're away from home, another day our friends have to fight without us."

"Yeh, I know," Aang breathed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But we still have to rest. We don't know what else lies ahead of us, and truthfully it could be much longer yet before we find Tonrar. I haven't felt him at all, no hints of him, nothing. I thought I would do if we were getting closer."

Katara had wondered this herself the more that they walked. Each time Aang paused, each sharp breath, she had found herself on edge, waiting ... waiting for the moment that slight wince of pain he made came from his his leg, but from Tonrar's pull on him.

"The spirits did say that it the Valley of Time was the center of the Spirit World," she replied. "You're right, we could still have much farther to travel yet." She pushed the thoughts of her brother and friends from her mind, Aang offering her a comforting smile as she turned on her heal and head back out of the bog, pulling her feet free with some effort. Aang followed her, his heart aching.

They set up camp, on a flat piece of rock a little further up, drying and cleaning their feet as Aang pulled up some rock for them to hide beneath. Despite Katara's complaints, he insisted that he would be the first one to go on watch. There was simply no way that both of them could sleep that night, not with a potentially dangerous spirit in the area, and he would be better at detecting it than her. Begrudgingly, and after a meager meal, Katara lay herself down, her head resting on her arms and she tried to get comfortable on the stone floor. Aang had never been one for soft comfy mattresses, he had often slept on the ground during their travels before the end of the war, and yet even he found himself craving some creature comforts, and he couldn't deny that cuddling up with Katara in the privacy of his own room back in the Fire Nation wasn't something he missed, either. Eventually, Katara's breathing grew deeper, her brow still furrowed even as she slept, and he looked back out at the darkening landscape around them. Not for the first time he found himself thinking of Sansetsu, and he realised with a jolt to the heart that he missed the man. They might not have been best friends, but he was still the only other airbender he had spent any real time with in six years, and his presence had often been a comfort, especially at night. But with the sadness came anger, and he pushed that aside as quickly at is arose. Being angry with Sansetsu would achieve nothing other than to distract him at this point, and with a spirit killer out there he couldn't afford to take his attention away for a heartbeat. And so, perching himself on top of the rock tent that he had created for Katara to sleep in, he kept watch.

Many hours passed without incident, Aang's eyelids growing heavier with each passing minute. He knew that it was perhaps time to wake Katara and swap vigil, but he was loathe to. Not only because he knew that he could keep better watch, but also because in her sleep she was calm and untroubled. When she awoke he would see her eyes cloud over with resignation, realising their situation again, remembering her friends and family again. He missed them, of course, he did, but he knew that her feelings bordered on intense grief. Not so long ago Tonrar had taken her grandmother from her, and since then she had been snatched away from both her brother and father, and he knew that she thought of them all the time. No, perhaps it was better that she slept a little longer. Maybe in her dreams she was reunited with them and happy once more.

"You think her dreams show happiness?"

His blood ran cold, his breath freezing in his chest, the creeping sensation running up his spine leaving him nauseated and panicked, as a voice that he had long feared to hear again reached him, almost whispering in the breeze. Somehow, the presence had gone un-noticed by him, until now he felt the dark vulgarity of it gripping at his chest and cheeping into his throat, so oppressive that he felt faint for a moment. Slowly, achingly, he looked over his shoulder, and he felt an uncomfortable sensation of fear and revolution as he took in the sight before him.

Innua stood not ten feet from him, her cerulean stare fixed on his. Her eyes were the most recognizable thing about her, wide and bright, and yet the rest of her seemed so different, so scarred and so ruined. Just as Katara had seen in the Spirit of Fortune, her left arm hung useless at her side, covered in a yellow tinged bandage that smelled acrid even from this distance. He could see the red burned skin covering her hand, the veins of it shooting up over her shoulder and under the sleeveless coat she still wore. Her face, once clear, was now heavily scarred down one side as if she had been badly burned. Her expression, once always one of mocking and apathy, now simmered with poorly contained rage, and he recognised clearly the curl of her upper lip as she fought against what most have been an incredible amount of pain.

He was acutely aware of Katara sleeping, unaware, just below him, and despite his shock at Innua's arrival, he knew that protecting her was the most important thing in that moment, keeping his eyes locked onto the half spirit.

"You look like you're in a lot of pain, Innua," he said, honestly, his voice soft. The woman grimaced, her right hand almost instinctively reaching to her left protectively.

"You look little better yourself, Avatar," she replied, her voice a low growl, and though her words sounded like they were a cutting insult, her tone was detached. Physically, the damage she had taken in the spirit world was obvious, but it was clear that emotionally she had taken quite a beating. She was not the passionate, smart-mouthed woman he had known before she had sacrificed her face to Koh. And truthfully, he didn't know if that made her more dangerous or not.

He kept the palm of his hand on the rock under which Katara lay, and though she was still he could sense that she was no longer asleep. She was waiting, just as he was, to see what move Innua would make next, biding her time and allowing Innua to think that she wasn't currently a threat. As discretely as he could, he curled his pointer finger against the stone, scraping his nail across the surface, hoping that Katara would recognise the sound as a communication to her.

"How can I help you, Innua?" Aang asked, keeping his voice quiet and even, his posture non-threatening. As it stood, there was still a part of him that hoped that maybe he could reach out to Innua, to help her to understand that she didn't need to be a pawn in her father's battle, but instead of softening her expression his words only brought forth wrath, and her lips curled up into a snarl.

"I don't need your help," she spat. Aang felt Katara shift, hearing the change in Innua's voice, and he scraped his nail across the stone again. _Not yet, wait._

"I think you do," Aang insisted, swallowing back the lump of apprehension forming in his throat. "Did Tonrar do that to you?"

"Tonrar?" Her voice came in a sharp gasp, her eyes widening a fraction before her working hand clasped into a fist. "My _father_ freed me. It was Koh who did this to me. That spirit would rather I had died than be broken free of him." Suddenly, a cruel grin curled across her face, and Aang felt a jolt of fear in his chest, the sight reminding him painfully of Tonrar. Somehow she looked more like him now. "But Koh got what he deserved."

Aang felt his breath catch in his chest, her eyes dancing with delight as she saw the fear flash in his eyes. Had Tonrar killed Koh? Was that possible? He remembered, then, the empty spirit husks that they had found in this part of the spirit world. If not Tonrar, then it was very possible that Innua herself could have killed Koh. And if that was the case, then it was all over. There was no way he could close the tear without Koh's help. Her grin only widened as she saw the turmoil on his face.

"I imagine that causes a few problems for you now, doesn't it?" she continued, and slowly the cruel woman he had known had started to return, as if she were relishing the moment. "If Koh can't close the tear between your world and this, well ... your friends are all dead, aren't they?"

She was playing with him, and he knew it. _She could be bluffing_ , he reminded himself, trying to fight back the panic.

"If that's true, then I suppose I don't have much else to lose now, do I?" he kept his tone even, but it was a threat, one that Innua did not miss. Katara, too, had sensed it, and he felt her shifting her position once more, readying herself to take action.

"Oh, you've still a lot more to lose yet, Twinkletoes," Innua replied, and the use of the nickname Toph had given him stirred a coldness inside of him. _How dare she_ , he thought in his head, as unconsciously both his hands gripped into fists. _Toph wouldn't stand for this. If she were here she'd have knocked Innua off her feet already_. Innua's eyes darted quickly to his hands, her cruel smile broadening as she realised that she had hit a nerve, her blue stare settling hungrily back to his face once more.

"Why have you come here, Innua?" Aang asked now, determined to get to the point. "Does Tonrar need you to fight his battles for him?"

Her face twitched once more and Aang realised that any mention of the spirit was a sore spot for her. She may think she was in control, but he could clearly see how emotional and highly strung she was growing, her indifferent facade quickly fading, and that was something that he could use.

"My father is too busy to worry himself with the likes of you," she spat. "With Koh gone, he is now the most powerful spirit in the entire of the Spirit World. Things could be different now. Things could be better."

"Better how?" Aang countered. "Innua, you must know that nothing good can come of this. Without both worlds the Spirit World will fall into chaos!"

"You're wrong," Innua hissed, and her eyes danced with delight once more, filling Aang with dread. "What do you think is going to happen to your world? You think it will just cease to be?"

Aang didn't reply, watching Innua carefully as she began to pace back and forth, her eyes greedy and alight with madness as she looked back at him, holding her broken arm against her body.

"You think you can stop this, but you don't even know what it is you're trying to stop!" she said. "Your world will still exist, but your friends? The rest of the human race? They'll be wiped out as thousands of dark spirits spill into your world."

Aang felt his heart starting to race, his breath unsteady.

"Do you know what kind of depraved and violent spirits exist in the very depth of the spirit world?" she continued, practically giddy with excitement. "Your friends, the rest of the humans, their skin will be peeled from their bodies, their flesh consumed, they'll die torturous agonising deaths and I'll be there to watch as it happens."

His head grew light, dizzy, as though he was suddenly detached from his body as the weight of her words crashed down on him.

"Why?" he managed, his voice weak, no longer able to hide behind his own facade. "Innua, you're human too ... why would you want this, _any of this_ , to happen?"

"I'm not human," Innua replied, and her smile faded, that cold look coming over her again. "I have never been human. I have never felt human. And my father? His life has been suffering ever since the Avatar first came into the world ... do you see his true goal now? The very best part?"

 _The Avatar_ , he thought, his mind racing desperately. _All of this? All of it because of the Avatar?_

"That's right," she breathed, taking a step closer to him now, her expression earnest. "If there are no more humans, then the Avatar cycle ends. Forever."

The panic and anger swirling in his chest grew almost too great for him to contain in that moment, his expression hardening as he slipped from his place on the rock, taking a bold step closer to Innua. She was irrelevant in all of this, he realised. She had been sent just to get under his skin, to slow his progress, to keep him from Tonrar just that little bit longer, and if what she had said about what future of his world was true then he hadn't the time to play her games. If she had come here for a fight, then a fight was what she was going to get.

"My only regret is that you won't be alive to see it happen," Innua said, her eyes flashing dangerously as she leaned back onto her left heal, her working arm curled upwards as she readied to attack. It was then that Katara made her move, stepping out from her hide under the rock and swinging both her arms in a wide arch, the water from her flask traveling at such a speed that Innua was unable to defend quick enough, the whip catching her damaged arm and throwing her to the side with a cry of pain. Aang wasted no time in launching his own attack, not willing to give Innua even a second to recover in, his hands reaching up to pinch the rock up around her as she collided with the hard stone. But Innua was far quicker than either he or Katara had anticipated, kicking her body back and out of the reach of the coiling stone, before she dragged back hard with her right hand. Aang was left momentarily confused, waiting for the water to coil at her hands, but instead he heard a yell from his left, turning to see a large column of ice form from the damp salt-stained air and hit Katara squarely in the chest. Her name broke from his lips even as he watched her thrown backwards, the back of her head colliding with a sickening thud against the rock she had slept beneath before her body slumped on the ground. He made to run to her, his heart hammering and bile rising to his throat as he saw her lie very still, her eyes shut, but Innua was quick to launch a second attack, her water whip back in hand and slicing with ferocity out at his face. He raised his arm, rock reaching up to deflect her attack, the stone falling into crumbled pieces at his feet as he turned back to face her, a snarl on his face.

"This fight is between us, Twinkletoes!" Innua yelled, standing straight, her right hand curling as water began to swirl around her, it's movements as sharp and wild as a rapids, and Aang knew that he had to bring this fight to a stop, and fast.

Innua's control over her element, despite being down one working arm, was still fierce, making up for her lack of mobility with sheer destructive force. Aang brought up another earth shield as the wave around her split and froze, sending hundreds of tiny pieces of sharp ice in his direction. His lip curled, a couple shards breaking through his defense and leaving clean cuts across his brow, and he quickly ducked down under her attack, his arms spreading. The earth beneath her feet opened up, dropping her body down seven feet into the rock with a cry, yet even as Aang advanced, ready to contain her, she rose out from over the edge, water swirling around her and propelling her upwards. She had chosen this spot on purpose, Aang realised, as she landed with a triumphant grin on her face. The air here was damp, even if the swamp itself was just out of her reach, and that was enough for Innua to have access to all the water that she could need, giving her the freedom to play much faster and loser with her supply. But, what Innua didn't realise, is that Aang had all the energy he could possible need around him, too, and he spread his fingers, eyes locked with hers, feeling the spiritual energy dance across his skin.

With a slice of his palm, he pushed and swung a funnel of air towards her, but his control of the air as well as the spiritual energy that governed the elements here meant that he was able to create a blanket of it around her, the friction grabbing her body and twisting her sharply on the spot. In her surprise, the water encasing her arm dropped, and with a punch of his other hand he pulled a slice of rock from the ground, tripping her feet out from underneath her. She cried out in pain as she landed heavily on her damaged arm, curling her body in on itself on instinct before her blue eyes snapped back to him, for the first time filled with panic. He stepped forward, before spreading both arms high over his head, the sound of tearing and ripping filling the air as the moss and lichen that coated the stone of the swamp snaked towards them. She kicked her legs out, throwing yet more ice his way, and with his arms high he was forced to breathe a billow of fire towards her, melting the ice as it came for his chest. The vegetation grabbed her, spinning itself around her and clamping her legs together, reaching up to bind her arms. The fight was over, they both knew it, Aang dropping his arms and watching as she struggled against the moss, her right arm still free and scratching at the filthy vines even as they continued to compress her body.

"You can't out-bend me here, Innua," Aang said, stepping forward, his grey eyes stormy as he glared at her, his pulse raising. The sound of Katara's head colliding with the rock still rung in his ears, and he saw red as he looked at the scarred and burned waterbender hissing back up at him like an animal caught in a trap, still desperately trying to break herself free. Thoughts rushed through his mind. He had her, and now was the time to take care of her once and for all, and he could not deny that all his rage, his loss, his pain, and his fears screamed at him, his hand shaking as the desire to burn the rest of her body grew. He could finish her off, right now. But the rational part of him, the part he cherished as himself, begged him not to, and with a quick clench of his jaw he made his decision, stalking towards her confidently, both hands rising as he made to place one on her chest, and the other on her forehead. Her eyes widened with panic as she realised what he was going to do, and as he was just a feet from her, she pulled at the vines with all her strength, freeing her damaged arm, and screaming with agony as she grabbed it and held it out to him.

The pain was instant, and Aang felt his body come to a halt, collapsing on the ground as the sensation of his very heart being wrenching from his chest squeezed all the air from his lungs. If he had thought that the pain of Tonrar controlling him was intense, it was nothing compared to what was happening to him now, his hand clutching his chest as he gasped, dark spots at the edge of his vision. Tears rolled down Innua's cheeks, her arms shaking as she fought against the pain in her arm, and tortuously Aang realised that she was trying to do with him what she had done to the other spirits that they had found. Achingly he looked down at his chest, watching in horror as a blue light formed, tendrils of energy snaking from his chest and towards Innua's out stretched fingers. He felt his body growing weak, the pain for now numbing as the shock of it became almost too overwhelming, and it was all he could do to raise his eyes back to hers. He summoned everything he had remaining in that moment, feeling the power of the Avatar Spirit now out of his reach as he produced the largest gust of air he could manage. He hadn't even the strength to cry out, his teeth grit as he focused entirely on breaking Innua's connection with his spirit. With a gasp of relief he felt her hold on him break, as she was thrown back against the rock, her body rolling painfully against the stone.

For a moment, none of them moved, Aang panting and shaking on the stone as his body fought to recover from the enormous amount of pain it had just had to endure, Innua shivering in shock, holding her damaged arm as her tears stained the ground she lay on. With a grunt, Aang pushed himself upwards, and as much pain as he was in he knew that he had to finish the job. He could not let Innua escape. He climbed to his feet, brushing the back of his hand against his eye as the blood from his forehead began to seep into it. Innua whimpered, before she too raised her head, her eyes locking onto his once more as the aching realisation dawned on her. She rolled onto her back, her feet kicking as she tried to push herself away from him, teeth bared as she attempted to throw yet more ice his way. But her energy was spent, and Aang had to only raise his arm, spreading fire down it's length for a moment to deflect her attack.

"This was your last chance, Innua," he said, his voice betraying the amount of pain that still spread across his chest. "I've tried to offer a peaceful resolution, but it's clear that all you want is your revenge, regardless of how many lives you ruin on the way."

She glared up at him, her chest heaving, her expression a combination of rage and fear.

"The pain you've inflicted on everyone around you, your crimes against humanity, can't go unpunished."

She tried to fight him back, but her strength was drained and there was nothing she could do to stop the rock the encased her arms and legs, pulling them back so that her face and chest were open to him.

"You won't get away with this," she hissed. "You think taking my bending away will stop Tonrar? You think it will save your friends?"

"I think it's a start," Aang replied coolly, before he placed one hand above her heart and the other against her forehead, his eyes shutting as he allowed his spiritual energy to flow freely into hers, the familiar and unwelcome sensation taking over his entire body. He felt her pain, her rage, her power simmering under the surface, and he realised even then that she had not even started to touch upon the abilities held within her. Then, it was over. He stepped back, Innua's head lolling forward as the last of her strength left her, and he allowed the rock to relinquish it's hold on her limbs.

 **A/N: Hi folks! Sorry it's been so long between updates, you simply would not believe what madness has been going on in my life of late, so it's been tricky to find the time and energy to get each chapter edited! Thanks for hanging on, though ...**


	31. This is the End of the World

Not long after the oppressive humidity that had followed the electric storms, it had begun to grow uncomfortably cold in the Fire Nation yet again. Though it was a far cry from the blizzard that had devastated much of the world for the better part of three months, it still sapped at the energy of the already weakened citizens and soldiers of Caldera. Rations were so short that everyone was now forced to eat just the single meal a day, and though those primed to defend their home were fed marginally more substantial a meal, the front lines were still comprised of very cold and very hungry soldiers.

The North's fleet had arrived at their shores a little over four hours ago, their great ships coming into port, a sight that would have once been a welcome one. But, since their arrival, they had yet to make a single move, the warriors remaining on their ships. It seemed, at first, like a foolhardy exercise, allowing the Fire Nation a chance to launch a counter attack before the North could even prepare for it. But, from this distance with only a small handful of air balloons to hand, the Firelord quickly recognised this as an opportunity for the North to assess the strength of his forces, and take out any air vehicle sent their way. Sokka, too, had recognised this as a tactic, and had affirmed that Zuko's decision not to attack was a wise one, the pair of them standing side by side as they looked out over the edge of Caldera.

Now, shivering against the cold and watching the sun fall from it's blurred position on the sickly umber sky, Firelord Zuko pushed open the door to the old flower shop that had been selected as their main port of communication throughout the coming battle, General Mamoru at his side. Beside the table, fingers buried into his hair as he poured over a map of Caldera and the harbor city, stood Sokka, his eyes bloodshot and exhausted. The warrior glanced up when Zuko entered, a half hopeful half nervous expression on his face.

"Nothing new to report," Zuko said, Sokka's shoulders slumping with mixed frustration and relief. "No new movement on Hanh's side. It looks like they're waiting for sundown, just as we thought they would."

"If that's the case, we just have to hope that our barricades do the job," Sokka replied, rubbing his face tiredly. Zuko was both moved yet concerned over how much Sokka had thrown into this, defending a Nation that wasn't even his own, and that had been responsible for the death of his own mother. "Where's everyone else?"

"Your father, Toph, and Kanto are all three manning the barricades," Zuko replied, nodding his head quickly to Mamoru who then took her place by the door. "Toph is far from her full health, but she insisted that she be a part of it and, honestly, I'm kinda grateful."

"Even in the state she's in you'd be stupid to mess with her," Sokka agreed, his voice still glum.

"Both Acolytes are at the stables, though neither of them seem very happy at being left back there."

"Good, can you imagine how angry Aang'll be if he found out we had let either of them fight?"

"Quite," Zuko said, noting with some relief that Sokka at least was still speaking as though Aang's return was a given. "I've instructed them to get Appa and the baby bison out of here should the worst happens, we can't afford for them to fall into Hanh's hands."

"And Suki?"

Zuko had to fight back a wince. He knew that Sokka wasn't happy with him, and how he had allowed Suki to take up her old position as his personal guard so soon after she had gotten back on her feet. It had not been a difficult decision for him to make, he had to admit, though it had still hurt him. Yet, it hurt him even more to learn that it had caused difficulties between the long-term couple. Suki had not been specific about the issue, which in itself was unusual as he and Suki had grown to be quite honest with one another, but she had not needed to be. He had long known that her continued presence in the Fire Nation had started to cause problems.

"On her way," he replied, evenly. He fell silent, watching as Sokka turned his focus back to the map, his wolf-tail messy and lose from the amount of times he had run his hands through his hair in frustration, somehow making him look much more like the boy he had been when they had first met than the man he had been growing into. Perhaps that, as much as anything, was what drove Zuko to speak.

"Look, Sokka," he said, hesitantly at first as the man's eyes rose to meet him. "I- I know that things are difficult at the moment but ... if I've made things worse between you and Su-"

But he was hushed into silence by the sound of the door opening, both men looking up to see the Kyoshi warrior walk in, dressed in her armor and warriors paint.

"Ty Lee and the other warriors are ready," she said, looking between the pair of them before her eyes fell onto Zuko, her nostrils flaring for a moment before she pressed on. "Zuko, we're prepared to go down there. Just say the word."

Sokka's head flew up. "What are you talking about?" he demanded sharply.

Zuko glanced back at him, before shaking his head fiercely. "No, I don't think it's a good idea."

"If anyone is capable of this it's the Kyoshi Warriors," Suki replied, almost breathlessly. "Please, Zuko, this is out best chance!"

"What are you talking about?" Sokka repeated, stepping away from the table and towards them, eyes flush with panic.

Suki looked back at him, the angry flush on her cheeks visible even under her make-up. "The Kyoshi Warriors should go down there," she sad. "We could work out which ship Hanh is hiding on, and if we can take him out then maybe we can put a stop to all of this before it starts!"

Sokka gaped for a moment, before rounding on Zuko, his eyes flashing furiously. "You actually talked about this? Are you mad?"

"It was just a consideration, Sokka," Zuko replied calmly, though he avoided his gaze.

"Are you completely forgetting that Kanto said that there could be three thousand soldiers down there?" Sokka continued, throwing his hands into the air. "In what world is this a good idea? Suki, you could get captured or ... or worse."

"Which is the risk we're all talking right now," Suki replied, her dark blue eyes softening for a moment as she looked back at him. "And it's getting close to nightfall, we don't have much time left before they start to attack."

"All the more reason not to," Sokka said firmly, throwing a pleading look in Zuko's direction. "There's no way you'll have the time to find Hanh and take him down."

"I'm sorry, Suki, but I agree with Sokka," Zuko said, and the warrior frowned, sucking on her teeth in frustration.

"So, we're just going to sit here on our asses and wait until they attack? The barricades aren't going to hold, we all know that."

"But _risking your life_ isn't the alternative," Sokka said, holding his arms out. "Suki, please."

Her jaw clenched, but she didn't argue. It was then that a low sound reached them, seeming to make the ground shake and distracting them from their disagreements. All together the four of them exited the shop, the low repetitive noise growing louder and louder, and Zuko felt his blood run cold, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he began to recognise it, not as a growl of thunder, but the chanting of thousands of solders, the stamping of thousands of spears on the ground. They walked past the rows of soldiers standing at the edge of Caldera, ears ringing before coming to a halt beside three of their comrades already ringing the edge, the wave of sound washing over them.

"They're making their move," Hakoda said, not taking his eyes away from the sight below. Zuko held his chin high, looking down at the thousands of men dressed in blue that lined his shoreline, chanting their chant and stamping their spears. He knew it was a show of force, of aggression, the Northern men were strong and determined, and likely better fed. His own men were strong willed and trained, but even they exchanged nervous glances among themselves at the sound. Zuko, however, was not going to allow himself to be intimidated quite so easily, and he took a deep breath.

"They'll have to do better than that," he said, his voice cool as the other glanced across at him. He turned to Mamoru.

"They'll attack as the sun goes down," he said. "Position your best archers and firebenders on the left flank, anticipate their movements and fire down into the harbor as they approach. Go now."

"Yes, Firelord."

"Leuitenant Dekho."

The handsome red-haired soldier appeared at his shoulder, bowing.

"Prepare the soldiers on the right flank, should the North breach Caldera you're our first defense."

"Sir."

"Sokka, Chief Hakoda, you're in charge here. You are our first line of defense over the pathway, understood?"

"Got it."

"Toph, do everything you can to slow them down."

"As if I'd wanna do anything else."

"Kanto, you're with Toph." Zuko turned to face the large Northern man, his face darkening, amber eyes flashing dangerously. "I've put a lot of trust in you, do you hear me? One wrong move and I'll finish you myself."

Kanto swallowed, before nodding, a determined look on his face. "You can continue to trust me, Firelord Zuko, I promise."

"Suki, you're with me," Zuko said, turning his back to Kanto. Suki took her place at his side, the two of them ready to join the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. He looked back at them once more.

"I know how strange it must feel to all of you to be standing here, protecting the Fire Nation," he said, his tone softening, "and I can never repay any of you for this."

"Just quit the emotional speech where it's at and we'll call it even," Toph said, before a smile tugged at his lips.

"Ok." He bowed low before them, the sight of the Firelord himself showing his respect to this rag tag group of foreigners still bringing surprise to the soldiers around them, before he turned and walked back long the ranks. Suki followed, just as Sokka broke free from the group, hurrying after her.

"Suki, wait!"

She paused, looking back at him, her expression painful.

"I- I know things are awkward right now," he said, taking her hands and keeping his voice low. "But just promise me you'll be careful, ok? Before anything you'll be careful."

She blinked rapidly, feeling her eyes start to sting, before nodding her head. "You too," she whispered, fighting back the lump in her throat. "Don't do anything stupid, ok?"

"Stupid? That doesn't sound like me at all."

She let out a weak laugh, before cupping his cheeks and pressing a light kiss against his lips. Sokka smiled at her, squeezing her elbows before letting go, watching as she hurried after Zuko, a heavy feeling settling in on his chest as he rejoined his father back a the edge of the City. The Northern army chanted once, twice more, before falling into a sudden silence, the air thick with tension.

"Do you think they'll finally quit playing around and attack us already?" Toph quipped, and Sokka couldn't stop the grin from coming to his lips as he glanced down the line at her.

"We Northerners like to show off a bit first," Kanto replied, actually eliciting a laugh from Hakoda even as, at long last the Northern army started their charge towards Caldera.

The army quickly broke through the throng of Harbor City, their forces washing through the streets unimpeded as, those who had stayed behind to defend their homes, hid inside of them instead, hoping not to be seen. Mamoru's solders started to rein arrows down on them as soon as they were within reach, and though the archers were talented, it was impossible to aim for any single target from this distance, hoping only to slow the enemy down. Each of them standing there were determined to fight for their lives, and the lives of each other, but the realities of battle still always came as a shock. Of course, the small group standing at the edge of Caldera, watching as the wave of arrows washed down, had all seen battle before. None of them, certainly not as they had aged, were of any illusion that their actions during the Hundred Year War had not resulted in the deaths of some Fire Nation soldiers, as much as they all agreed to never speak of it. But watching with baited breath, waiting for the first fatal arrow strike to fall, they felt sick to their stomachs. They had all agreed that they would try to keep loss of life to a minimum, to only shoot to kill when absolutely necessary. The arrow strike was a risk, and cries of pain reaching their ears confirmed that soldiers had been injured by them at the very least, but there was still a hope inside all of them that it would be enough to force the soldiers back. But, the Northern Army was big, and it was strong, and many more arrows were deflected than made contact, and her strong firm voice calling out clear as a bell across the edge of Caldera, Mamoru switched arrows for fire.

It was harder still to aim for individual targets at this distance than it was arrows, but the fireballs afforded them the grace of needing less accuracy. Sokka felt his teeth start to chatter involuntary, he wasn't sure if it was for the cries of pain coming from his sister tribe below, or the suffocating heat coming from his left as fire filled the air. His hands shook as he looked down at the destruction below, and Kanto was forced to turn away, his wrist coming to his mouth as he fought back a wave of sickness, Toph absently placing a comforting hand on his elbow. But, as powerful as the combined effort of the Fire Nation soldiers was, even without the sun powering them, the Northern Army were more than a little prepared for fire. A loud call came from below, Sokka straining his ears to see if he recognised the voice as Hanh's even as a sea of white and blue rose below them, the soldier's holding shields above their heads, bodies crammed closer together making it harder than ever for the Fire Nation soldiers to make contact. Sokka stepped forward, a scowl on his face as he looked at them, looking at the shields, still too far for him to make out the markings on top of them.

It became apparent, all too quickly, that Hanh planned for the army to scale the long winding walkway to Caldera as quickly as possible, to engage them in close range combat where the Fire Nation's archers would be useless, and the fire too difficult to contain without burning each other. He planned to over-run Caldera on sheer numbers, the Northern army trained in hand-to-hand combat perhaps better than any other army on earth. The waterbenders were large, strong people, and the firebenders were half starved and cold, and with gritted teeth Sokka watched as arrow and flame was easily deflected by the hard metal shields below. Then, water began to seep through the seams, and though the attacks lacked any accuracy, and were not strong enough to reach Caldera, they were still enough to deflect much of their fire, protecting themselves from being cooked under a burning roof of metal over their heads. Hanh, despite all his mistakes of the past, had learned a thing or two in the years since Sokka had first met him, since he had faced an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Zhao, and Sokka realised that the man had perhaps been counting on that. Sokka had underestimated him, and it could be their undoing.

"Barricade defenses!" Sokka yelled, raising his arm above his shoulder. The sound of engines filled the air, three large tanks pulling up beside him as with slow precision their gears shifted into motion, the hot steam washing across all of them. It had taken Sokka a little while to work out the hydraulics, re-fashioning some of the Fire Nation's retired tanks for the purpose, a large scoop to the front that would haul rocks that they themselves were unable to lift. It wasn't something a team of earthbenders couldn't have done with more efficiency, but Toph was their only earthbender, and it was unanimously agreed, if not grudgingly so, that she had to preserve her strength as best she could. With a final screech and clunk of metal, the rocks fell heavily down onto the narrow walkway below, bouncing and crashing their way over the lip of each pathway before rushing towards the army progressing at alarming speed. It wasn't going to stop all of them, but for the first time their tightly packed defense was to prove costly to them, preventing any of them from dodging the coming rocks. However, with another sharp call from the ranks, waterbenders behind the front line dropped their shields, water whipping out over the heads of their comrades, smashing and pushing aside the volley of boulders coming their way. Sokka tried to hold back his despair, it had worked to some degree, not all of the rocks were pushed back, some of the smaller breaking through their defense and knocking the feet out from under many of the soldiers, but it was not nearly as effective as he had hoped.

"Next!" he called, seeing the ripple run through the soldiers defenses, gaps in their shields showing the blue cloth beneath, and with another loud series of rumbles, the second tank lifted it's scoop, more rock falling down onto the soldiers below. This time they were not so well recovered, some of the soldiers forced to break ranks, and Sokka smiled grimly.

"It's actually working," he said, looking across to his father, "but there's so bloody many of them!"

"Keep focusing on the front line," Hakoda said, waving his arm as he indicated that the tanks be reloaded. "At the very worst we're just slowing them down."

But, it seemed that the North were not entirely unprepared for large scale attacks from the edge of Caldera itself. Just as they had all predicted and feared, a distant cry came out from across the bay, a sound only just heard on the wind, and the group looked up to see a large wave breaking free from the ocean, a line of small figures just visible on the edge of the harbor.

"Shit," Sokka hissed. "Everyone get back!"

Almost in slow motion, the wave, created by what must have been scores of waterbenders under the waxing moon, expanded out over the harbor. It was an incredible feat of bending, even Sokka had to admit that even as he watched it coming for them with wide eyes, and he realised that they had still managed to vastly underestimate the power of the Northern benders. In a flash of panic, he twisted his head in Toph's direction, realising that she couldn't see the danger coming, but Kanto had already grabbed her arm and pulled her back, the small group just managing to clear to reach of the wave before it crashed against the edge of the city, straight into their three tanks. An almighty crash filled the air, ice forming and filling each crack and crevice of the vehicles, their operators only just managing to jump clear of them before the ice grabbed them too. In the blink of an eye, their best defense yet had been rendered unusable, and Sokka could only curse under his breath.

"What happened?"

He looked back to see Zuko and Suki rushing back over to them. Sokka pointed to the shoreline where, sure enough, the waterbenders were creating another great wave, the water pushing and pulling between them.

"Looks like they planned to use the ocean after all," Zuko said, his voice low.

"Right, and with them battering the edge like that we can't stop their soldiers climbing up the side!"

Sure enough, the next wave crashed in on top of them, hitting the edge of the volcano hard, scattering Fire Nation soldiers.

"We need to stop those waterbenders," Suki breathed, her eyes flashing and she glared meaningfully at Zuko. But it was then that a loud roar filled the air, and surprised the group looked back to see Appa landing heavily behind them, Xing Ying sat at his head, her eyes wide and determined.

"You're supposed to be back at the stable with Yee-Li and Yuva," Zuko said, a frown on this face.

"I know," Xing Ying replied, dropping from Appa's back and landing lightly on the ground. "But Appa just won't stay put! I think he wants to help."

Appa growled in affirmation, breathing heavily from his large nose.

"Could we fly some firebenders out over the harbor to take them out?" Hakoda asked, wincing as yet another wave smashed against the side of the volcano.

"No," Xing Ying protested, shaking her head, "Appa hates fire!"

But Sokka started clapping his hands together, eyes wide as he danced with a fresh idea.

"Ooh ooh I got it! The stink 'n' sinks!"

"You think those'll work?" Hakoda asked, just as Sokka ran past him to the heavy crate of bombs that they had kept aside in cases of emergency.

"Hey, I've done some work on these beauties since we last had to use them," Sokka replied, opening the heavy trunk, before picking out a much smaller version of the bombs that they had used back during the Hundred Year War. "Same basic principle, except I accidentally discovered the grossest smell known to man when I was experimenting with animal fat and potatoes."

"You've got way too much time on your hands," Toph said, her upper lip curling with distaste.

"Well, at least I'm doing something useful with it," Sokka shot back, before hauling one of the bags out of the trunk and towards Appa. "They've still got seaweed in, of course, and that'll just stick to them, they'll never be able to get away from the smell!"

"You think that's enough to stop them bending?" Zuko said incredulously, as yet another wave hit them.

"Trust me," Sokka said, glancing up at him, "Someone will need to go with Xing Ying to throw the bombs as she flies-"

"I'm on it."

Sokka looked back, surprised, as Kanto stepped forward, grabbing the second bag of bombs and hoisting it over his shoulder.

"You've not even been on a flying bison before!"

But the sound of yet more ice smashing against the side of the volcano, this time only narrowly missing themselves, was enough to render that fact suddenly inconsequential, and Kanto hauled the bombs onto Appa's back, settling them in the saddle.

"What's there to know?" Kanto called down, throwing his hands in the arm. "Just don't fall off, right?"

"Xing Ying," Zuko said, placing a hand on the Acolytes shoulder before she could climb up onto Appa's head. "Don't fly directly at them, no doubt they'll start aiming for you."

"Got it," she replied, before Appa lowered his head so that she could climb. "I think Appa does, too."

The _yip yip_ had hardly left her mouth before Appa took off with a roar, a snarl on the great beasts face. It wasn't unusual to see the bison angry, he had come in defense of Aang many times in the past, but the stress of being away from Aang, the noise, the cold, and the hunger, seemed to have finally broken his last tether, and they could hear the bison roaring still as he flew, his large tail sweeping a large gust of air down at the soldiers below in spite as he flew.

"Maybe we should just let Appa take care of it," Toph remarked.

Over the harbor, Xing Ying gripped Appa's reins tight, her eyes fixed on the waterbenders ahead, trying to ignore the beating of her heart in ther throat. Now she was closer she could count at least thirty men, maybe more, all of them working in perfect unison to form the huge wave that had proved so dangerously detrimental to their efforts. Sure enough, as Zuko had predicated, a small group of them peeled off, forming a smaller series of whips aimed directly at them. Appa didn't even wait for her instructions. He dodged deftly, flying at such a speed that Kanto had to grab for the bombs before they fell straight of the saddle, and he along with them.

"How close?" he yelled to Xing Ying.

"We're almost there, get ready!"

He grabbed three bombs in each hand, gripping the leather straps, and leaning over the edge of the saddle as the waterbenders below came into focus. He felt his chest constrict, recognising the faces of many of them, and knowing that they recognised him too, their mouths soft _o's_ of surprise and betrayal. Gritting his teeth as Xing Ying called out to him, he threw the bombs down at them, Xing Ying urging Appa to go faster as the waterwhips reaching out to grab at them. The cries of disgust reached them as the bombs exploded on the ground at their feet, covering the waterbenders with the stinking seaweed, and Xing Ying couldn't help but laugh and cheer as they flew away. Kanto looked back over the edge of the saddle, his expression grim as he saw his once allies and friends curse him and buckle, hands to their mouths, the large wave dropping back into the sea.

"Good job, Appa!" Xing Ying said, patting the bison on the head, who beat his tail once last time, wafting the stink filled air back to the waterbenders who let out a fresh wail of disgust. However, her joy was short lived as she let out a cry of pain, her hand gripping her shoulder.

"Xing Ying!"

It was then that Appa howled out, and Kanto climbed onto his head just in time to see an arrow shoot past, narrowly missing his face.

"Look out!" he yelled, reaching around Xing Ying to grab the reins, pulling sharply to the left.

"A bit late for that, isn't it?" she snapped, wincing as the arrow protruded from her shoulder, another embedded into Appa's flank as the bison sharply swerved up and away from the reach of the archers below.

Appa collided with the hard earth of Caldera, Hakoda and Zuko hurrying to his side.

"Xing Ying, are you ok?" Hakoda asked, reaching out to catch her as she unsteadily fell from Appa's head.

"I'm fine," she said, wincing as she looked down at her blood soaked shoulder, before she turned back to Appa, placing a hand on his face. "Is Appa going to be ok?"

"He''ll be ok," Zuko said, inspecting the wound which, thankfully, wasn't very deep. Kanto stepped past them, focusing on the shoreline of the harbor.

"It won't take them long to recover," he said, looking between Zuko and Sokka. "We best make the most of it."

Zuko nodded, holding up his arm to get the attention of his General and, as one the soldiers advanced, before shooting yet more fire and arrows down the side of the volcano, towards the advancing Northern warriors. Yet, despite their best efforts, the soldiers below were just too well protected. They had reached the first of the barricades now, and whilst they definitely slowed progress, the rock and metal only held up so long against the barrage of ice that continued to thrash against them.

"All we're doing is slowing them down," Sokka said, frustrated. "If it carries on like this we're going to have no choice by to face them here in Caldera."

Zuko, a scowl on his face, was all too aware of this fact. He knew well how the rest of the world still viewed him, still viewed his Nation, and whether it was them under attack or not, the world would not forgive another slaughter at his hands. If it came to hand-to-hand combat, there would be no way to avoid death ... could he kill if it meant protecting his people? He shook his head, pushing the thought from his mind, looking back down to the barricades. There were close to two hundred of his soldiers firing down onto the army below, but all accounts that along with the barricades should have been enough to push another army back. But they had not expected the Northern army, under Hanh's charge, to be so prepared. Had not expected any of them to come with metal shields ... _metal shields._ His eyes widened, and he turned back to Sokka.

"The shields," he said quickly. "They're all metal aren't they?"

"Yeh," Sokka replied, confused, before he looked over at Toph, who still stood at their side, her expression grim as she held onto her painful hip. "But there's too many of them for Toph to deal with on her own! Especially in her condition ..."

"No, but metal conducts heat," Zuko said, and he saw Sokka's eyes widen with the realisation.

"Yes!" He slammed his fist into his hand, a grin coming to his lips. "We make the metal so hot that they'll be forced to drop their shields!"

"General Mamoru!"

The General looked up from her position, making her way over to him, bowing her head.

"Yes, Firelord Zuko."

"I need all firebenders to focus on the shields," he said.

"Yes, sir."

"Remember," Zuko continued, grabbing her forearm for a moment, "we don't want to kill any of them. Focus your heat until the drop their shields, then fire arrows ahead of them, force them to retreat."

"Yes, sir."

As one, two hundred soldiers lit the path below them, their flames licking against the metal blanket held above the Northern army. The heat grew almost suffocating, such a stark contrast to the biting cold of the air around them, and as Zuko watched his hands clenched into fists, his expression tense. For those in the group that had seen the power of the Fire Nation before, had seen the destruction of their villages, family, at the hands of firebenders, they found their hearts clutched suddenly with fear. It had been many years since any of them had witnessed this power used against another Nation, against themselves, yet it only took the bright orange glow and the heat on their skin for them to relieve some of the horrors that they had all been through.

It was a solemn moment for all, especially as the plan began to work. Yells and screams filled the air, the sound of heavy metal shields dropping to the ground as they grew too hot for the soldiers to carry, and though the intent had not been to kill anyone, there was so way that they could avoid the burning. Even as Mamoru called for the archers, the ground between them and the Northern army suddenly filled with the sharp biting stings, flames licked at the hands and arms of the soldiers, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. Kanto's face paled, turning back to look at the Firelord, his eyes wide.

"You have to stop!" he said, his voice shaking. "You said no one would be killed!"

"You told me that I could trust you," Zuko said, his cool amber gaze fixing on his. "Was that a lie?"

Kanto swallowed, looking back over the edge where the panicked screams of his kin could be heard.

"Zuko, they're not backing away ..." Sokka said, his own voice restricted as he watched, soldiers dropping their shield yet trying to progress forward, into the reach of the fire and the arrows. "Hanh doesn't care how many of them die!"

Zuko felt the sweat drip down his temple, panic setting in. Sokka was right, Hanh had the numbers and he was going to use them, regardless of how many of his people would get injured or worse in the process. And something was driving the Northern army beyond Hanh's orders ... something that he himself didn't quite understand just yet. There was a determination in their actions, a passion in the way that they fought, almost as if for each and every man out there this fight was personal.

"They're coming up here to kill all of us," Zuko said, his voice quite and pained, as he looked back at Sokka. "We were naive to think that we could avoid this."

Sokka's throat bobbed, his eyes locking with his father for a moment who could only turn away, a shadow across his face as he looked down at his sister tribe.

"Zuko ..."

But Toph decided then to take the matter into her own hands, pushing past the group of them, sweat dripping down her forehead from the effort of standing in the amount of pain that she was in, her body struggling in the cold to retain her strength. As much as she knew what Zuko was saying was true, that it would ultimately come down to a fight for their lives, she could not stand by and listen to the screams of men burning any longer, positioning herself at the very cusp of the city, looking down the winding pathway of Caldera, her hands held high.

"Toph, what are you doing?"

"Ending it."

With a pained yell, she stepped forward, digging her feet into the ground, and twisting, her arms pushing forward as the metal barricades down the length of the walkway suddenly twisted and shifted. Anyone within reach of one was thrown backwards, stumbling off the edge of the winding path and rolling painfully down the side of the volcano. With another snarl she split her fingers, tearing the metal barricades to shreds that flew out, colliding with the chests of the soldiers, pinning them to the ground or against the rock. She was not stupid, she knew that people would be injured through her actions, but it was better than burning to death, dying under a blanket of molten metal as the fire rained down on them.

"Hold!" Zuko yelled, and the firebending stopped, the smell of burning flesh reaching their noses as silence fell. He wanted to be angry at Toph, for doing away with their barricades in this way, but he knew her reasons. He knew that she was right to have reacted ... the barricades would not have stopped them, but at least this a good portion of Hanh's army was unable to fight. He walked forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You should rest now," he said, seeing the way she swayed on the spot, holding onto her side.

"Fine, I'm fine ..."

Kanto was quick to her side, even has Sokka himself stepped forward to help her. The Northern man lifted her bridal style, the earthbender's lack of protesting indication enough of the kind of pain that she was in, and his gaze connected with Sokka's for just a moment before walking past him, holding Toph close to his chest.

"They have to retreat now," Hakoda said, looking down at the destruction below, seeing men nursing their burns or struggling to break free of the metal and rock bounds that held them. "They have to ..."

Zuko stepped to his side, the sight and smell of burned flesh causing his stomach to lurch, the scar on his face burning with the old pain of memories, his fingers ghosting the damaged corner of his eyes. This was not what he envisioned for the future of his people ... he had sworn that not one more man, woman, or child, would have to suffer under the hands of the Fire Nation, yet it had happened anyway. It had happened, and he had no choice but to keep protecting his people, his friends.

Calls came from below, furious yelling, those soldiers still able to move lifting the injured, and Zuko felt a wave of relief wash over him. They were falling back, the damage had just been too high, and they would need to regroup now at the very least. The battle could be won, even if the war was not, and it would give Aang yet more time to get back to them. But then his eyes found a figure he recognised, the man's wide jaw visible even from this height as he angled it up to fix him with a piercing cold stare. General Hanh was among his men, pure hatred on his features as his lips curled into a snarl.

"Surrender," Zuko hissed under his breath, as Sokka now stood at his side, looking down. "Don't be an idiot Hanh, surrender."

But the General had no intention of backing down, and agonisingly he raised his arm.

"Soldiers!" came the man's call. "Advance!"

"Hanh, you fucking moron," Sokka groaned.

"Firebenders, fire!"

But, after their powerful display earlier, it was growing apparant that the firebenders were exhausted. Their fire was always going to be weaker at night, and now the moon hung high above them in the sky, and the waterbenders below were able to redirect most of the attacks. Their progress uninhibited by the barricades that Toph had used to flatten and trap them, and a fire in their eyes. The soldiers were coming, and there was little left now to stop them.

Sokka tore from the edge, running back to where Kanto, Toph, and Xing Ying stood by Appa, the earthbender propped up in Kanto's arms.

"Get on Appa and take Toph and Xing Ying out of here," Sokka said to Kanto. "They're going to get into Caldera, and neither of them can fight. Just get them out of here and somewhere safe."

"I should be here to fight-"

"I don't give a shit what you think you should be doing!" Sokka yelled, grabbing the front of the man's shirt, his nose an inch from his. "Your job is to protect Toph, get it?"

"Protect me?" Toph snapped, her eyes flashing furiously, but she gasped and winced as the pain spread across her body once more.

"Ok," Kanto breathed, and despite Toph's weak protests he hoisted her up into the saddle, gently pulling Xing Ying up beside him before he took the reins. Appa, growling his uncertainly, looked to Sokka, gently pressing his great nose against his arm.

"Go on. Yip yip."

Kanto, expression still painful as he looked back down at Sokka, tugged gently at the reins as Appa beat his giant tail, taking the three of them up into the air and away. Sokka watched them go with a lump in his throat, his chest constricted, as it dawned on him that he may never see Toph again.

When he stood back beside Zuko, Hakoda, and Suki, watching the soldiers come, almost unimpeded, he reached to his side and pulled his sword from it's sheath. Zuko had already called Dekho and his men to action, their own swords drawn and forms taken, ready to fight the onslaught.

"That's a lot of soldiers," Suki breathed.

"Yep," Hakoda replied.

"We might not make it out of this one," Suki continued. Sokka looked down the line at her, and despite her words her face was just as determined and brave as ever, and he realised that there really was no greater honor in life than being able to fight by the side of the greatest warrior he had ever known, the smallest smile coming to his lips.

"Last chance for a miracle here, Aang," Zuko muttered, looking up at the ugly sky, the yellow moon visible through the rolling umber clouds.

"Hey, who needs a miracle?" Sokka scoffed. In spite of himself, he felt a grin come to his lips as he looked back at them. "We've got the Firelord, the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. It's them that need the miracle."

"Don't forget the General of the Southern Tribe," Hakoda quipped, and Sokka just rolled his eyes.

"Well, that goes without saying."

"Are you all ready?" Zuko breathed.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Soldiers, be ready!"

But then, just as the Northern soldiers drew closer, the ground beneath them shuddered violently, knocking some of them from their feet. Sokka looked wildly over his shoulder, half expecting to see Toph standing there, but she was nowhere to be seen when the earth shook again, even the Northern warriors slowing, holding to the walls of the volcano as the earth shook beneath them.

"What is going on?" Sokka cried.

"Uh ... guys, what's that?"

The group looked around at Suki, to see her pointing out over the harbor, to the ocean. The faces of the Northern warriors that could see her looked to where she was pointing as well, and a deathly silence fell over the Fire Nation, eyes wide and mouths agape. Another shudder, and in the distance a huge mass, just a shadow in the darkness, came into view. It stood taller than the volcano of Caldera itself, wading through the deep water, each footfall causing the earth to shake, two bright pinpoints of blue light visible, like eyes.

"Please tell me that's Aang taking the form of a huge ocean spirit again," Sokka said, his voice hoarse. But then, a high shriek filled the air, a sound so loud and so painful that every single human present threw their hands over their ears, as the huge mass over the ocean spread it's arms, the moonlight casting across it's great blank face, a wide mouth opening as a unearthly sound shook the world.

Then, it stopped. Hands hesitantly dropped away from faces and, with bated breath, the humans looked over the harbor for a single heart stopping moment, until the sound of shrieks came again, as though thousands of creatures were howling. They watched, mouths agape, as a wave of dark creatures washed over the Northern Water Tribes ships, pulling them apart, the pieces falling into the sea, the screams of fear and agony coming from the men that had the remained ... the waterbenders responsible for the waves.

"I don't think Aang is responsible for this," Suki said weakly, her fans dropping as he arms fell to her side, violet eyes wide.

"No," Sokka agreed, shaking his head. "This ... this is it." He took a deep breath, his hands clenching tight around his sword.

"This is the end of the world."


	32. To Be Bellicose

**The Spirit World**

Their progress was slow, far slower now that they had a reluctant prisoner in tow, her hands pulled behind her back and weight down with rock, and her body still weak from having her bending taken from her just a few hours before. Aang tried hard not to be frustrated with the woman, and the speed that they were walking. As much as he raged at her for her actions and her motives, he knew that physically she couldn't go any faster than she already was. In fact, it was a lot for either of them to expect her to have been able to walk at all, after all a man as physically strong as Ozai himself had need months to recover from the experience. But, the sands of time were already trickling away from them, he could feel it in his gut now, and it would not be long before it would be too late for him to save his friends, save the world ... put right to what had been made wrong. It would not be long before people started to die, that was if they had not already, and he needed to find Tonrar. He needed to face him. To fix this, all of it.

Katara walked behind Innua, her sharp eyes keeping watch for signs of other spirits, or any hint that the half-spirit herself might attempt an escape. But Innua had made no protest, not since they had first starting walking. She had refused, of course, to lead them straight to Tonrar, but it seemed like Aang needed no leading at this stage. Sweat dripped down his temple, and she watched him with some concern as he doggedly glared ahead of them. He, too, had been hurt in the fight with Innua, though his hurt had been more spiritual than physical. And yet physically he was still handicapped, and the limp in his right leg was growing more and more pronounced with every mile. She wanted to tell him to rest, to slow down, but she also felt the change around them. The Spirit World felt ... stuffier, like the air had grown denser, like there were a storm on the horizon. It would not be long before the spirits broke into her world, and they could no longer afford the luxury of break, no matter how much they might need one.

"You're not going to make it," Innua said suddenly, speaking for the first time in hours. Her voice was cold and distant, lacking in it's usual vehemence, and her face looked up to the sky, her eyes shutting as if she was basking in the glow from the orange sky above them.

Aang paused, looking back at her, then up at the sky, his brow furrowed.

"How far, Innua?" he said, his tone perhaps shorter than he had intended it to be. Innua opened her eyes, looking down at him before the familiar cruel smile played across her lips.

"Close," she said. "But not close enough."  
Aang glanced back at Katara, who nodded stiffly before with a wave of his hand Innua was pushed forward into a stumble once more by the rock at her wrists, encouraging her to start walking again.

It would take a further two hours before Aang felt definitive proof that they were indeed reaching their destination, and that the Spirit World wasn't just sending him one last test to use up the last of their time and energy. He gasped, stopping dead, an old ache spreading across his limbs, the tingle on his skin as though it were crawling with insects. For the wildest of moments he considered turning tail and running, his instinct to get away from the source of that unbearable pain so much stronger than he could have anticipated. It was with shaking limbs that he forced himself to step forward, climbing up a steep rocky hill, his hands gripping the stone as he went, for a moment not even considering how he would get Innua up this climb. Slowly, achingly, he looked over it's edge, staring into the precipise beyond where a vast flat rocky out-crop could be seen.

It was huge, larger than any of the plains that they had passed through on their journey here, perhaps the largest flat area in the entire of the Spirit World with the exception of the desert itself, and they still had a long walk before they finally reached it's center, a walk where there would be no cover and Tonrar would see them coming from far off. But it was there, the center of the Spirit World was here. He could see it as well as sense it, the spirit in his chest coiled in anticiption and fear, his hands visibly shaking on the rock.

Far ahead of him stood what appeared to be a tree, it's bark ancient and twisted, and a low red glow simmering from inside of it, his spirit trembling with each pulse, and he found himself suddenly unable to look away from it. He had never seen anything of this sort before, it even put Koh's old hideout to shame, yet somehow deep inside of himself he knew it. He had known it, he reminded himself, his hand pressing lightly against his chest, feeling the cool energy of his Avatar Spirit inside of him. This tree at the center of the Spirit World had far greater significance than the familiar rocky out-crop it stood in, a landscape that he had seen time and time again in his nightmares. Almost painfully he dragged his eyes away from it, only now spitting the great pillars of light that spread up unto the dark umber sky, and his breath caught in his chest again.

"Aang!"

He jumped, almost slipping on his precarious position on the rock, before looking down to see Katara looking up at him, concern and frustrations aross her features. Swallowing thickly, Aang gently slid back down the side of the rock. Katara did not miss how much his hands shook, the faraway look in his eyes as he tried to bring his focus back to the present, and the way he left hand stuck to his chest.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We're here," he replied, his voice hoarse.

"Are the portals alight?"

The Avatar blinked, looking across at Innua who looked back at him with a hopefuly, greedy expression on her face, and he could only nod, thinking of the two pillars of light he had seen either side of that strange tree. Innua's eyes widened and suddenly filled with tears as she laughed loudly, falling to her knees.

"What?" Katara hissed, grabbing the waterbenders coat as if she were about to pull her back to her feet. "Why are you laughing? What does that mean?"

"It means you're too late," Innua replied, her expression ecstatic. "The spirits are already starting to cross over ... and you're too late!"

Katara looked back to Aang, her face paling dramatically. He licked his dry lips, trying to fight off the panic that was already started to spread across his chest, and swiftly shook his head, his brow furrowing.

"No, there's still a chance," he said, ignoring Innua as she only laughed harder at this, wiping at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Tonrar's in there, I can feel it."

"You don't have to do this alone, Aang," Katara said, her voice shaking with emotion yet her gaze firm, and Aang found himself feeling grateful, not for the first time, that she was here with him right now.

"You're both delusional," Innua said, grinning up at them. "You're going to die here today. Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

"Get up," Aang ordered, waving his arm once more as the rock around her wrists lifted her to her feet. Katara felt her heart rate quicken, knowing what Innua's words really meant even if Aang did not.

Carefully he helped the three of them negotiate the steep climb up the side of the rocky precipice, and Katara was unable to hold back a gasp as she looked at the wide open space that lay ahead of them, the rings of rocks like teeth spiraling out from it's center, upon which stood a great glowing tree. Aang did not like how Innua's expression grew only more sinister as she took in the sight, her eyes fixed on the tree even as he pulled her down the side of the hill and onto the flat. He knew the tree was important, the way his Avatar Spirit fluttered frantically in his chest every time his eyes drifted back to it was indication enough of that, but it seemed Innua understood much more of it's importance than he did. He supposed he would find out, before long.

"I don't see Tonrar," Katara said, her eyes darting about them cautiously.

"He's here," Aang said, the way his skin itched and skull ached was confirmation of this. "And he knows we're here. He's waiting for us."

Katara shuddered, but continued to walk, her hand brushing against his for just a moment before they pressed onward.

It took them several more minutes to finally come within reach of the center of this great rocky out-crop, a blister across the surface of the Spirit World. Katara, despite her lack of spirit, felt the dark energy of the place acutely, unable to stop her hands from shaking even as she clasped them together in front of her, and Innua seemed to be shivering with a combination of both excitement and anticipation, her eyes darting about as she waited for her father to appear. Aang, for his part, found himself entirely distracted from Innua's strange behaviour, his upper lip curled against the pain already spreading across his body as though his very skin was just a network of scars. Scars from his previous encounter with the spirit who had left him bloody and dying in the snow. He looked at the scene in front of them, the glowing red tree huge and towering into the sky, it's trunk ten times that of any other tree he had seen, the wood knotted and unnaturally tight together, almost as if something great and powerful had twisted it that way. He was torn between wanting to get closer, and wanting to turn tail and run, as if his soul and not just his Avatar Spirit were in conflict. Swallowing, he found his attention grabbed by something else, the sound of a heavy body shifting beneath them, and with start he twisted his heel, reaching out with his spiritual energy, and it was all he could do not to cry out with relief as he recognized the spirit held captive beneath the tree.

"You took my daughters bending away, I see."

His relief was short lived, and the little colour he had remaining on his face drained away, as the voice that had haunted his every sleeping and waking moment over the last year reached him. His hands curled instinctively into fists, his left heel twisting in the dust, as from behind the great tree the dark spirit stepped. He seemed larger, somehow, standing taller than he had before, but his black cloaked figure was the same, his yellow eyes burning red once more, his wide lipped mouth spread across his dark skin. His palms were spread, a gesture given almost in peace it would seem, as his bare feet swept him across the rock, those red eyes fixed onto Aang.

"She didn't really give me any other choice," Aang replied, his voice far stronger than he would have originally given himself credit for, feeling as though a fog was settling over his mind, his entire focus now on the spirit standing before him. He felt hatred, that perhaps was the emotion he felt most of all, a deep seething hatred for the spirit and for all that he had put himself, had put Katara, had put the world through. Where he had thought to feel sympathy he felt empty, and instinctively he knew that his mind was trying to prepare him, to make it easier to do what he might have to do.

"You could have killed her," Tonrar said softly, and Innua jerked uncomfortably beside him. "But, then, your acts of mercy have become something for me to rely on."

"I'd stop feeling so certain of that, if I were you," Aang replied, and Tonrar grinned, his wide mouth spreading across the width of his face revealing the rows of sharp teeth. The spirit's focus then shifted, his red eyes falling on Kataras she stood at Aang's side, and for a moment his grin faltered, his head cocking to one side as he considered her. Aang felt his hackles bristling, taking an involuntary step in front of her, breaking Tonrar's line of sight, and the spirit's grin returned.

"Koh," Aang said, not inviting discussion. "He's alive?"

"In as much as any eternal spirit can be," Tonrar replied, and Aang frowned at the strangeness of his words, spoken with the subtle tone of resentment, his upper lip curling just a fraction.

"Where is he?"

The corner of Tonrar's lips twitched, perhaps in irritation, perhaps amusement, it was hard to tell.

"Imprisoned, for the time being," he replied.

Aang swallowed, his eyes darting back the great glowing tree fom behind which Tonrar had stepped, and the spirit did not miss this, looking to the side for a moment almost as if he were listening to something that none of them could quite hear.

"You needn't concern yourself with that," Tonrar said. "What waits inside of the tree won't wake for another sixty-five years, and I doubt you'll live long enough to witness that."

"If you have it your way, no one will be alive to see it," Aang replied, before he was even aware that he had spoken, distracted by the continued stirring of the spirit in his chest, she so keenly un-nerved by whatever was contained inside of the giant tree. He swallowed, trying hard to bring his focus back to Tonrar, back to the task that lay ahead of him. He had one chance, he realised, one chance to change the outcome, to reach out to the spirit.

"If you're about to tell me that I can reconsider, I'd save your breath," Tonrar said, even as Aang opened his mouth to speak. His tone wasn't aggressive, if anything there was a hint of empathy to his voice as he looked across at the heavily scarred Avatar, but his face was set, his goals unavoidable. "I did try, you know? At one time, I tried to put a stop to all of it, but your past life wouldn't listen."

"I know that," Aang breathed, placing a hand to his chest. "But I am not my past lives. My past lives ... all of them, expected me to kill Firelord Ozai, to end a life to end a war. But I found another way. You are not the role that the first Avatar gave you, you can make a different choice!"

"And what good would that do me?" Tonrar responded, his dark brow creasing into a scowl. "You want to protect your kind, I am sympathetic to that. But I want to save mine, and if I spare you now, if I spare your kind and allow the Avatar cycle to continue, how much longer will the spirits have to cower from the whims of humans? From the demands of the Avatar Spirit?"

"But, it doesn't have to be that way," Aang replied, his heart beating desperately in his chest. He could see the passion on Tonrar's face, read the pain in his eyes, and he allowed himself to hope, for even a moment, that there was a part of the spirit that could be reasoned with. "It is on me to maintain the balance of our two worlds, and I want to do what is right by both! I want to make up for the mistakes of my past-lives ... you- you could help me do that."

Tonrar grit his teeth, his inner turmoil suddenly becoming that much more evident, before he let out a long, low breath. "Be that as it may ... there will be no time for that. You must know?"

"Know ... know what?"

Tonrar's eyes flickered across to Innua, who stood unsteadily at Aang's right, her blue eyes simmering as she looked between the two of them, and Aang could only frown in confusion.

"Your lifespan," Innua said, her upper lip curling in no less than disgust.

Aang blinked. He felt Katara stir behind of him.

"What?"

"You spent one hundred years trapped in ice," Tonrar replied. "A third if not more of your life's energy is already spent. Any change that you promise, it can never happen in your lifetime. And, I'm afraid that it is too much for me to risk to hope that your successor will share the same ideals."

A peculiar sensation stirred in Aang's chest at Tonrar words. He glanced back over at Innua, her expression that of hatred as she glared back at him, and he realised that as much as she could absorb spiritual power perhaps she could, too, read the energy of another, and it alarmed him that she could have felt this from the very beginning. But, what perhaps unsettled him most of all, was the knowledge deep down that he had already known this ... his own limited lifespan, he had never actively considered the effects a hundred years in ice would have on his body, but now the matter was brought before him he knew that it was true. And yet, he was certain that it did not matter. It didn't matter how much longer he had left, it didn't change his goals now, it only made him more determined.

"Aang ..."

He heard Katara's gentle voice from behind him, and he glanced back at her expecting to see pain in her eyes, Tonrar's words affecting her perhaps even more than himself. But he was taken back to see the fire in them, her shaking hands curled into fists, her desperation to end this and save their friends clear, and he knew that she was offering her support. She was encouraging him to fight. Words were not going to be enough. He looked back to Tonrar, taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to give you one last chance, Tonrar," he said. "Release Koh and fix the tear. If not, I won't hold back, not this time."

 **The Fire Nation**

It was chaos after that.

The sight and sound of the spirits tearing into the Northern soldiers still in the harbor, their screams, was so horrific that the conflict between the two Nation's was suddenly and swiftly forgotten. The group of companions standing with their weapons and fists still drawn watched with pale skin and wide eyes, they alone knowing for sure what the appearance of these spirits really meant.

The Northern soldiers lined up the winding pathway to Caldera turned their back on the Fire Nation, backing up into the city as a ripple of panic ran through them. Dimly aware of the movements around him, Firelord Zuko held up his hand, and his soldiers stepped back, making room for the wave of soldiers now somewhat desperately trying to get into firmer ground, the city edge now a sea of red and blue as uncertainly weapons were held in front of them in shaking hands.

One of the last to climb up was none other than General Hanh himself, and for a moment his presence was enough to drag the attention of Zuko and Sokka away from the massacre taking place on the shoreline, and Sokka felt his stomach lurch at the expression on his enemy's face. It was a mixture of fear, confusion, and betrayal, his wide blue eyes connecting with the Firelord's.

"This ... this wasn't what was supposed to happen," the man said, his voice hoarse and desperate.

"Well, what _was_ supposed to happen?" Sokka snarled, pushing forward past Zuko, his sword still drawn as he advanced upon the Northern general, perhaps infuriated more than anything by the further confusion on Hanh's face. He still didn't remember him, he realised, he had no idea who he was.

But Hanh didn't get the chance to respond, as the giant spirit looming over the city let out another loud screech, hands pressed against ears as the sound threatened to burst ear drums, and the dark spirits over the bay started to progress through the harbor, away from the Northern ships and towards the city.

"How are we supposed to fight spirits?" Suki said, holding her fans in front of her and looking for a moment as though she might throw them in frustration. "Can you even stab a spirit?"

But Zuko stepped away, turning his back to the spirits and facing the combined forces of the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation.

"I know we have our differences," he called, his voice clear, "and I know you all came here expecting to fight the Fire Nation today, but you have been lied to." He held out his hand, pointing back to Hanh, who now had a snarl on his face, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Your General will have you believe that I am responsible for the death of Innua. Your General will have you believe that the Fire Nation wants another war ... but _this_ is the real war." He paused for a moment, as the howls of the spirits washed over them, the soldiers shifting fearfully, eyes darting from the Firelord to their General. "General Hanh and Master Innua's lies have led to this! And believe me when I say that we, all of us right here, are the very last line of defense between the spirits and the rest of the world!" Zuko could feel his entire body threatening to shake, so deep was his rage and his fear, and the passion was clear on his face, his burning amber eyes connecting with each of theirs. From behind him, the General sweat, yet too frozen in his betrayal and confusion to say a damn word in defense of himself. For Zuko's friends, the Chief and General of the Southern Tribe, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, they already knew what was required of them. They knew full well that they could all die here today, but seeing Zuko standing tall in front of them only strengthened their already solid resolve.

"So, will you fight?"

A moment's stillness followed Zuko's words, the only sound that of the screeching of the spirits as they drew closer and closer to the city, killing any and all who they came across in the Harbor, and Zuko had to force himself not to focus on the sound, not to focus on the sound of his people dying as the Northern soldiers made up their mind. Then, one of the soldiers took a bold step forward, his large hands gripping his whale-tooth dagger.

"Let's kill these creepy fuckers," he called, holding his weapon aloft, and as one the soldiers yelled their approval, Water Tribe and Fire Nation alike, and Zuko allowed the triumphant grin to show in his lips, before he pulled his dual swords from his side, turning to face the army of spirits charging their way. The large black wave rose up, a wall of teeth and claws crashing down on top of them.

 **A/N: Hello folks, sorry for the delay in getting this chapter to you and, I know, two cliffhangers in one chapter? How could I? Well, the coming chapters are going to be BIG, and I as much as anyone need a quick breather before launching into the two final battles of the series.**

 **Just to clear up any possible confusion, the events taking place in the Fire Nation are happening at the same time as what's taking place in the Spirit World. We are completely caught up to the present now, and there will be much switching between this world and that, so I will strive to make that as clear as possible in the coming chapters. Thanks for sticking by ... we are SO close to the end now.**


	33. We See in Our Dreams

**The Spirit World**

"I'm going to give you one last chance, Tonrar. Release Koh and fix the tear. If not, I won't hold back, not this time."

The Avatar's words hung in the static air, the rolling red sky above them coiling in turmoil, the pressure building and the heat seeming to rise almost as if in retaliation to Aang's declaration. For a moment, the spirit Tonrar didn't react, his red gaze fixed onto Aang's with an expression that could still pass as empathetic, and it was clear that he did not relish a fight. Tonrar wanted this battle no more than Aang himself did, but he was trapped. He had no choice, not even he wanted to fight for what he himself believed in. Aang knew this, deep down he understood through all the hatred that he felt for the spirit, but he could not allow such thoughts to rise to the surface. Everyone moment he or Tonrar hesitated he knew that people could very well be dying.

"I appreciate the chance," Tonrar said then, his voice hushed. "But you know as well as I do that this can only end with one of us dead and, I'm sorry, but it won't be me."

Aang grit his teeth, his heart hammering fast. He could sense Katara behind him, her body bristled and her hands itching for a fight, but as much as he knew she had come here to help she couldn't be a part of this fight.

"Keep close to Innua," he breathed back to her, his voice low and his eyes not leaving Tonrar's. "Don't let her move."

She knew from the shark intake of her breath that she was angry, that she wanted to argue, but to his relief she gave in, stepping back and roughly grabbing Innua's coat. For a moment Tonrar's red eyes left Aang's stormy ones, looking into the direction of his daughter, the corners of his wide mouth twitching and his eyes widening just a fraction, and Aang had to hold back a hiss of anger.

"She might get her abilities back," Aang said, louder this time, so that all those around the tree could hear him, knowing that Tonrar was counting on it. The spirit looked back to him, his eyes narrowing. "Freeze her if you have to."

Tonrar hummed under his breath, just as Innua snarled in protest, Katara pulling the plug from her hip flask, ready to make her move should the half-spirit attempt anything. Aang wasn't sure how long it would take for Innua to be able to use her spirit abilities again, this assuming that she could, but given Tonrar hadn't seemed too bothered by the fact that her bending had been taken, he couldn't bank on it being any decent length of time. He scowled, before taking a step closer to Tonrar, his heel twisted in the dust as he tried to discretely get a full picture of the layout around him. He knew that Koh was close, though the spirit had yet to say a word, he could feel that he was somewhere in the rock beneath their feet, not too far from the base of the tree, and if he could perhaps free Koh then maybe he could end this quickly. Maybe with Koh free he wouldn't even need to put an end to Tonrar. _Or maybe_ , he thought darkly, his stomach lurching, _Koh would refuse to help_. It was entirely possible that the moment the spirit was freed from his cage he would flee, leaving the Avatar and the humans to their fate. His jaw clenched, he honestly was not sure what was more likely at this point. Koh himself had not been best pleased to see him the last time they had come face-to-face, and the spirit had been through much worse since then.

Tonrar began to smile again, eyes still narrowed as he looked back at him, almost as though he could read the thoughts running through his head. Innua could sense them, he knew that much, perhaps not read his thoughts but she had been uncannily close to the truth a great many number of times, and he wondered if this was something that Tonrar could do too. He swallowed, pushing thoughts of Koh to the back of his mind, almost as if to be on the safe side. Tonrar had yet to make a single move, and though he knew what he had to do part of him was loathe to be the first one to make a move ... he still didn't know how Tonrar planned to fight him, he could not see any of his spirits around, but that alone was not enough of a reason to assume that he would not use them. He had procured them from thin air in the past, he was more than capable of doing so again, and he couldn't allow himself to be open for even a moment. _No_ , he bent his knees slightly, his body staying lose, _be patient._ Tonrar will make his move.

And so he did.

In a flash Tonrar extended his right palm forward, just as he had done so many times before when trying to control Aang, and he immediately tensed up, preparing for the onslaught of pain that he had become familiar with. But, to his surprise, and to the surprise of Tonrar, he felt nothing more than the itching across his skin, and a tightness to his chest. His mind remained clear, his body pain free, and he breathed heavier, triumphant. He had reconnected with this Avatar Spirit, there was no longer turmoil inside of him, there was nothing for Tonrar to use any more. The spirit's face fell, his eyes widening and his mouth going slack as Aang stood straight, his eyes remaining their usual cool grey.

"Shit," Tonrar hissed, the sound almost comical as it came from his mouth, and Aang felt his adrenaline spike in that moment, a curious sensation of elation filling him as he realised that Tonrar no longer had any power over him. He could end this, and he could end it quickly. In a heartbeat he went on the offensive, slamming his heel into the ground and pulling his clawed hands upwards, as rock made to encase the spirit. But, as much as he could not control Aang anymore, it seemed Tonrar was anything other than defenseless, and he jumped free from the stone's grasp, landing lightly on the ground as his cloak billowed out around him, the many rows of teeth in his wide mouth bared. But Aang didn't give the spirit a moment to recover, instead pulling his left hand sharply into his chest, a column of rock breaching out from behind Tonrar with a loud crack, hitting the spirit hard in the center of his back. With a yell he was thrown forwards, arms swinging out to prevent his face from connecting with the hard stone, before Aang pulled up rock to encase each of the spirit's hands. From behind him he could hear Innua swearing furiously.

"What the fuck was that!" she all but screamed, indifferent to the water snaking from Katara's pouch. This seemed to get a reaction from Tonrar, his head shooting up as his eyes connected with Aang's yet again, a growl coming from his throat.

"There's still time to surrender, Tonrar," Aang said, even as more rock shot up to encase Tonrar's feet. The spirit was trapped, and the only hope he had left now was to call upon his spirits to help him, and Aang was well aware of that. Flame ignited both his fists, before he reached out around him, breathing slowly out from his mouth as he felt the spiritual energy of the land around them. But he had not expected to react quite as he did in that next moment, as his own energy reached out past Tonrar, past Innua, even past Koh who he now knew was just meters from him. The veins of awareness reached the great glowing tree, coiling up it's trunk even as he felt the great burst of power that spread across his chest, gasping for breath as it felt as though his heart was about to explode from his chest. The Avatar Spirit inside of him burst forward, he could feel her screaming at him, her panic and anger too great for him as he too cried out, the flames at his fists bursting outwards with such ferocity that it cast the entire plateau in an unnatural orange light. His eyes burned a vivid blue as his body instinctively went into the Avatar State to protect him from what it perceived to be a great danger, that glowing red tree suddenly the most dangerous thing he had ever come across, and behind him Katara screamed, shouting his name. But the flames continued to spread, and it was only the searing pain of his hands and forearms burning that was able to pull him back out of the Avatar State, shutting his eyes tight as he cried out in pain, pulling his hands close to his chest as he collapsed to the ground, his knees hitting the stone hard.

For a moment, he could only sit there, fighting for breath and against the pain in his arms, hearing Katara calling to him before she skid to his side, her hands on his shoulders. His head rose, streaming eyes almost fearful to look back at the tree, his body shaking.

"Wh-what ... what was that?" he managed weakly, and then the sound of laughing filled the air, and Aang and Katara both looked sharply in the direction of the trapped spirit, his wide mouth split into a delighted grin even as he laughed, his eyes not leaving Aang's.

"You think I chose for this spot to be our final showdown just because I liked the scenery?" Tonrar said, his eyes dancing almost merrily. "It's what makes you most strong here that also makes you most vulnerable! The spiritual energy of this place is too dark, too powerful, and no matter how much of a connection you think you have with Raava, it won't matter here!"

"What is it?" Aang gasped. "What's in there?"

Tonrar hummed, his back arching as he tested to strength of the rock encasing his hands and feet. "You have two great weaknesses, Raava," he said, speaking to the the Avatar Spirit now, "your reliance on humans, and the spirit contained within this tree. Both of them will be the cause of your end. Right here. Right _now_!"

He emphasized his last word, and in a heartbeat the tides were swiftly turned, the spirit's back arching once more as with a snarl his hands and feet broke free from their stone restraints, for a moment his body seeming to grow even more, long curled talons on each of his digits throwing the rock from him as he stood straight, the marks on his forehead seeming to glow red for just a moment. But Aang hadn't enough time to wonder what that really meant before he felt the movement to his right, looking around just in time to see Innua launching herself at him, damaged right arm extended as her left held it steady at the elbow, triumph in her eyes as her burned and broken hand reached out for his face. He hadn't the time to be graceful, he threw Katara away from him and out of Innua's reach with a blast of air before holding out his arm in defense. He let out a sharp yell of pain as Innua instead gripped onto his burned forearm, he pushing her away from him as hard as he could. It was only luck that Innua was thrown back across the stone, growling in frustration at her still weakened body, because he knew full well now that Innua had regained her spirit abilities. She was going to try and drain him of his spiritual energy. She had attacked to kill him in that moment, and right now she was the most dangerous of the two spirits that surrounded him.

For a moment, no one moved, Innua panting from her place on the rock, holding her injured arm to her as her limbs shook from the effort, Katara pulling herself up from where Aang had thrown her, her hands quickly dropping to her hip flask as she glared at the Northern woman across from her. Painfully Aang dragged his attention back to Tonrar, who looked back at him with murderous intent, before grabbing at the black cloak that covered his body, throwing it aside with snarl. His entire torso was covered in the same red marks and curls that adorned his forehead, the deep welts carved into him almost as if they had been done with a knife, and Aang could only wonder again at the way the spirit's body had seemed to morph for just a moment as he broke free of the rock containing him. He knew that Innua, though her abilities had returned, was still too weak to launch another attack right away, and despite the death glare Tonrar shot at him, it was imperative that he subdue Innua as quickly as possible. He looked back to Katara, her blue eyes widening a fraction as he nodded his head as discretely as he could towards Tonrar, indicating that for the moment she should try and keep the spirit back, before he got to his feet, his burned arms and hands screaming at him.

With a frustrated yell, Katara pulled the water from her flask, aiming her whip straight at the tall dark spirit, who was forced to jump out of her way, his forehead creasing in surprise. Putting all his faith in Katara's ability to keep the spirit from him, Aang turned his attention back to Innua, her eyes widening in panic as she fought to get back her footing. She couldn't bend, he realised much to his relief, and her reaction time was slowed by how weak her body still was from their last fight, and he was quick to bring up the rock around her, encasing her up to her waist. But Innua knew what he was trying to do, and with a pained cry she grabbed her right arm with her left, pulling it up and out of the way from the rock before holding it back out to him, palm forward. As much as he had tried to prepare for the sensation, it still struck him like a cold knife to the heart, feeling his spiritual energy pooling about his chest. He grit his teeth, trying to produce a gust of air to throw her off aim, but it was weak and fizzled out before reaching her, his connection to his Avatar Spirit, to Raava, fading quickly, and panic filled his thoughts. If he could not stop her, if Innua succeeded in consuming his spiritual energy, it was all over. He had saved no one. His friends would die. His world would end. It would have all been for nothing. He remained standing, his hand clutching his chest as he focused on Innua, tears creating tracks down her dirty cheeks as she herself fought against the unbearable pain in her arm, though her mouth was pulled into a crazed grin, triumph on her face. He growled under his breath, shutting his eyes tight as he forced himself to take a step forward, towards her, his body gaining momentum as he went. He saw Innua's eyes widen, the grin dropping from her lips as he reached out, grabbing her wrist with his right hand and pulling it past his chest, trying to ignore the weakness that was spreading across him, the dark spots clouding the corners of his eyes, before he thrust his other forearm against her elbow as hard as he could. There was a loud crack and a scream, and Aang didn't even have the time to even think about what he had done, what he was doing, before he fell to his knees again, gasping as he clutched his chest, the Avatar Spirit inside of him severely weakened by Innua trying to consume her a second time.

"Aang!"

He heard Katara's cry, and he looked back over his shoulder to see her looked back at him, her face pale, Tonrar still held at bay by the wall of ice that she had created.

"I'm fine," he managed, pulling himself back to his feet again, stumbling somewhat as he placed the weight on his aching right side, trying hard not to look at Innua as he did so, her pained sobs loud as she clutched her broken arm, certain that if he did he would either pass out or vomit. He had never intentionally hurt another person like that before, and he knew the sound of her cracking bones, her scream, would haunt him for however long a life he had left. Instead, he looked up at Tonrar, seeing the way the spirits eyes were wide and pained, looking at his daughter as she cried, his expression suddenly so difficult to read. Then, those red eyes connected with his again, and the hatred flared, his teeth baring as he held his arms out wide either side of him. With a jolt to the stomach Aang realised that he was calling upon his spirits, he looked across to Katara who too understood this, pulling her water close to her, defensively looking around her. They were spread too far apart, Aang realised, she couldn't be separated from him, but even as he made to move closer he found himself surrounded.

Haunted faces looked in at him, two of them breaking his line of sight from Katara, and he took a sharp intake of breath, hands clenched as he tried to take in as much as he could about their situation. The two between himself and Katara had their backs to her, their forms solid yet hazy, faces pale and eyes mournful, and though their clothing wasn't anything that he recognised, the hairstyles looked so strikingly like Sansetsu's that he could only surmise that they were earthbenders. To his left, there were two more, their clothing even less familiar to him, and it was only from the dark skin of one of them that he could guess a waterbender and either fire or earth. To his right, two more, and behind of him yet another. He growled under his breath as they stood, his eyes darting back to where to Katara, counting another four figures surrounding her. _Eleven_ , he thought, his mind racing. They were outnumbered almost six to one.

"Katara!" he called, his heart hammering in his chest.

"I've got this!" she yelled back, and though her voice sounded confident, furious even, he could not hold back his fear. Most of the spirit benders had surrounded him, sure, but she was still outnumbered.

"You may as well give up now, you piece of shit," came a shrill voice, and he looked back over his shoulder to see Innua, still encased in rock and nursing her broken harm to her chest, hatred in her glares. She screamed with a rage he recognised, a rage that he had felt swirling in his own chest for so long, and he could only look away from her, focus on the enemies that surrounded him and not the wave of sickness and shame swirling in his stomach. And in that moment, the spirit benders launched their attack with such fierce ferocity that he knew that Tonrar was going all out now in his attempts to kill him. He wanted Aang's life, and he only just managed to dodge the two great bursts of fire coming out him from both sides before he felt the ground beneath him shift, the earthbenders around working in tandem as they attempted to drag him into the rock beneath him. With a grunt of pain he rolled, clearing the chasm that seemed to be opening up beneath him only to find himself thrown to the left, a large whip hitting him hard across his already painful right hip. He tried to get back to his feet, but the seven spirit benders around him were already bearing down on him, and with a cry he blew air out all around him, the current grabbing each of them and throwing them back from him. Eyes wide he looked around desperately, before he spotted Katara, seeing that she was having little more luck than he was, her water whip spreading around her as she tried to fight back the four spirit benders stalking her. But he had no time to even think about going to her aid before his vision burned bright orange as yet more flames were shot in his direction.

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he dodged once more, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. They had fought larger groups than this before, they had even taken down the entire of the Earth King's guard, but this was different. Perhaps it was because in the past they had faced people who, in spite of their strength, had always held back. After all, Avatar or no, most of their opponents had no intent to kill a bunch of kids ... shit, even the Fire Nation soldiers they had faced had been more intent on capturing them than killing them, with the exception of perhaps Azula who would have probably lost no sleep over their deaths. No, he and Katara had never faced a large ground of benders who's soul goal was to take their lives, let alone benders who had no concept of their own mortality, each of them fighting with pure abandon without taking steps to protect themselves. Aang panted heavily, his poor aching leg and arms screaming at him to stop as he continued to dodge, pushing back the spirit benders whenever he was able, his hands kicking up rock and flames each time any of them got too close.

"The Avatar State," came a voice from his right, just audible over the sound of crashing and fighting and his own heart hammering in his ears. "You'll have to use it. It's all you have left."

He growled, swinging out to his right with a billow of his own vivid flames, and it caught one of the spirit benders, throwing them back with unearthly screech as the flames began to engulf her.

 _Not again_ , Aang thought, his heart aching, _not again ..._ But as the flames died his eyes connected with Tonrar's once more, the spirit standing beside his daughter who was now free from the rock. He held onto her, his body protectively shielding him from Aang's reach, Innua's only working hand gripping onto her fathers wrist and he realised, suddenly, that Tonrar cared for her. He wanted to protect her like he wanted to protect his own friends, to protect Katara. But his moment of contemplation cost him, and something sharp and hard connected with the side of his jaw, sending him flying, blood splattering across the cold earth.

He heard a scream, he wasn't sure who's scream it was, his ears ringing as he gasped, one hand pressed to the ground as the other came up to his throbbing jaw, feeling the warmth of the blood that oozed there. He felt the spirit benders start to approach him again, and in spite of the pain he grit his teeth, climbing back to his feet, assessing his situation. He couldn't use water, his body was just in too much pain for him to calm himself enough to reach out and take the water from the air around them. He could barely use fire, the burns on his hands and forearms reacting painful to each attempt that he had made. He had earth and air left available to him, and with most of the foes facing him seeming to be earth and firebenders that hardly made him the best match. He heard a scream again, and this time he recognised it as Katara, looking up to see her thrown bodily across the rock by a gust of air.

"Katara!"

She hardly heard him as she rolled across the ground, trying to ignore the pain in her elbows as the skin was torn from them. She had managed to take care of one of her attackers, the earthbender that she had been able to freeze solid before the airbender had taken advantage of her lapse in awareness and attacked her. She looked in the direction of Aang voice, he was worryingly far from her now, but she did not miss the blood across one side of his face, the way he panted heavily. She needed to get close to him, they could hold their own against the benders if they could work together. With a yell she pulled the water out from around her, freezing into a tall column before, with splayed hands, she threw herself roughly foward. The ice shattered and broke into thousands of tiny pieces, shooting out like bullets towards her attackers, noting with relief as many of them hit their marks. She didn't waste time seeing if she had stopped any of the spirit benders before she tore towards Aang, who was now surrounded by all six of his remaining attackers.

"I don't think so!"

She heard Tonrar voice call clear before she felt a huge weight drop down on top of her, realising that the three remaining spirit benders had thrown themselves at her bodily, their weight pushing her to the ground as she cried out. But Aang's view of her had been blocked again, and with the sound of rock crashing and fire bellowing he did not hear her call for him, his teeth bared as he threw rock and air in great cutting arcs around him, smashing through their attacks. He couldn't do this with his bending alone, he knew this, even as one of his swings connected hard with one of the spirits, it's shrill shrieking filling the air as it seemed to disappear right before his very eyes, just as the spirit of Gotami had done in the desert. He had learned how to harness the spiritual energy around him, he had learned how just so he could fight Tonrar, and despite the dangers that came with it he had no choice but to reach out once more, his arms spread wide for a moment as he felt himself connect with the energy around him.

He could feel the darkness, he could feel his Avatar Spirit starting to panic, but he imagined the power like a sphere around him, his forehead creased as he tried to reign that power in, prevent it from growing too large, from reaching out to the presence inside of the tree that seemed to call to him. With a gasp he opened his eyes, just as a wall of fire hurtled towards him, lighting his grey eyes red, and yelling he pulled his entire body to the left, swinging his arms and gripping onto the air around him as he did. The earth tore, his mind reaching out to whatever lay beneath him as what looked like lava burst from the ground swung like an arc in the air, connecting first with the firebender attacking him. The spirit screamed, and the sounds of others followed as, in one swift movement, Aang was able to throw them all to his left, encasing them in the contents of the earth. Lava and roots, rock and air congealed and solidified, creating a towering wave above them before a deathly silence fell, his remaining six spirit benders now encased forever in the black rock.

He breathed heavily, fighting against the urge to collapse onto the ground, to curl up in on himself and nurse his wounds, then as he looked up his felt all his rage rise to the surface.

Tonrar held Katara against his body, one hand buried deep in her hair and holding her head back on his chest, the other holding sharp jagged rock against her throat, his red eyes burning. The three remaining spirit benders stood before them, poised and ready to attack, but Aang had only eyes for Katara, her blue ones looking back at his, tears of frustration falling down her cheeks as she whimpered.

"I'm sorry."

 **The Fire Nation**

The Water Tribe man panted heavily, his sword held almost slack in his hand as he propped himself up against the outer wall of an old stone house, hot sticky blood leaking from his hairline and into his eyes. The spirits had attacked fast, and they had attacked mercilessly. He had tried to stick as close to Suki as he could, keeping her in his line of sight as the first spirit tore down on him, but in a matter of moments his vision had been obscured by several dark shapes pressing their weight against him and he had fallen to the ground, grunting, holding his sword and forearm ahead of him as wide slathering jaws snapped shut just inches from his nose. He had met spirits before, shit he had even been abducted by one, but he had never seen anything quite like the vicious hungry creature doing everything it could to tear the skin from his face, it's cold dead eyes glowing a filthy yellow, as thick drool splattered into his own. His teeth had grit, his hands gripping onto the blade of his sword, ignoring the blood seeping down his wrist as he pushed back against it with all the strength he had.

"Fuck, stinky, what is your problem?" he managed, grimacing and twisting his head to the side as a long tongue reached out to lap against his cheek. He quickly glanced around him, looking for something, anything, that he could use to push the spirit away from him, but everything was a mess of noise and shapes, bursts of fire casting an orange light across the spirits, screams and yells filling the air, and anything that could possibly help him was already so far out of reach. He swore again, focusing his attention back to the monster seemingly trying to eat him, and instead he bent his knees, bucking his hips with as much force as he could and bring his arms up over his head. The spirit, unbalanced, rolled over his head with a snarl, and Sokka quickly rolled into his knees, getting to his feet just as the spirit turned sharply on the stone floor, lunging at him with jaws spread. But Sokka was ready this time, swinging his sword as it connected with the spirits dark, reptilian-looking face. It screamed, thrown across the ground, and Sokka was relieved to see what looked like dark black blood burst outwards as the spirit stopped moving. _Right_ , he had thought, gasping, _we can kill them_.

He had turned on the spot then, wiping the drool from his face, trying desperately to spot Suki and his father, but it was only a matter of seconds before the next spirit was on top of him, and with an angry snarl he swiped out again.

He wasn't sure when he had been hit on the head, he wasn't sure how many spirits he had killed, or how many had tried to kill him, he wasn't sure where any of his friends were, whether any of them were still alive, how many spirits were yet to come, but with a pained grunt he raised his sword hand, wiping back the blood that was started to obscure his vision, his chest a mixture of exhaustion and panic. Ahead of him he could see hundreds of Water Tribe and Fire Nation citizens fighting for their lives ... he could see bodies, both human and spirit, he could hear people screaming for help or out in pain, and it was almost all he could do to keep standing in that moment, deep lacerations across his left forearm dripping blood onto the ground.

"Suki!" he yelled, as loud as he could though his voice croaked and broke, his throat raw. But, just as before, he heard no sound in response. His panic rose, his heart already beating so fast he wasn't certain that it wouldn't just give up on him at any moment. Suki was strong, she was smart, she would be ok ... out of any of them she would be ok ... but as he looked at the thousands of spirits prowling the streets, launching themselves onto soldiers, he was finding it harder and harder to convince himself of that. Taking as deep a breath as he was able, wiping the blood from his face again, he gripped his sword tight, slipping down the streets of Caldera as he tried to spot someone, anyone.

The spirits had pushed everyone back quickly, no one wanting to be out in the open as the unlucky were immediately torn into, groups of spirits laying into them like vultures as they screamed in terror. He had heard Zuko early on, yelling to try and keep order, to try and maintain some kind of formation, but this was a whole different kind of fight. None of them had fought spirits ... no one knew what to expect, no one knew that they would be seeing their friends and comrades literally devoured alive right in front of them, and the Firelord's authority was not enough to stop everyone from fleeing for their lives. It quickly became a mess of soldiers pushing against each other, trying to break down doors and find safety inside, and Sokka had found himself pushed along with them, swearing and trying to fight his way back through, back to the fight. Now, he turned a corner, before finding himself face to face to with three soldiers, their eyes wide as they looked at something behind him, their weapons drawn. His heart dropped, and he sharply turned on his heal to see two larger spirits, their backs hunched and their animalistic faces snarling, yellow eyes burning as they approached.

"Fuck," Sokka hissed, backing up towards the soldiers, his sword still drawn. He glanced over his shoulder, two Fire Nation soldiers, one Water Tribe. One of the Fire Nation soldiers held no weapons. A firebender, he realised.

"Oi, which of you are benders?" he yelled back at them, looking back to the spirits, watching them as they stalked, long tongues licking salivating lips. None of the men answered.

"Oi, idiots! Which of you are benders?"

"M-me," the Fire Nation soldier stuttered.

"Good, you still got some juice left?"

"S-some."

One of the spirits, it's wide monkey-like face practically mewling with anticipation, took a bold step forward, and Sokka felt the three men behind him shuddering, whimpering.

"Alright, here's what's gonna happen!" Sokka called, praying that the soldiers wouldn't just turn tail and run, leaving him to deal with this on his own, yet simultaneously not blaming them if they did. "Direct your flames into their faces, blind them! Then when they starting screaming the rest of us charge! A blow to the head or throat seems to do it!"

"R-right."

"Ok, on three!" Sokka gripped his sword tight, taking another step back as the spirits seemed to ready themselves to jump. "One, two, three!"

Hot fire burst over his head, it was far from the strongest blast he had ever seen, but it was good enough to distract the spirits, raising their clawed hands to their faces as the fire lit them, burning their skin.

"Go!"

Sokka ran forward, swinging his sword out and slicing with all his strength against the throat of the monkey-spirit as it reared backwards. He saw the Water Tribe and Fire Nation soliders attack the other, a spear sinking into a chest just as a club heavily crashed down onto the top of it's head, and with simultaneous howls the spirits collapsed onto the ground, black blood splattering the three of them.

"We ... we got 'em," breathed the firebender. Sokka nodded, still panting and wiping back fresh blood, unable to speak for a moment.

"Have you seen Zuko? The Firelord?" Sokka said, wiping his bloodied sword against his trouser leg as he looked back at the three of them. Eyes downcast, they all shook their heads.

"It's too much of a mess out there," the Water Tribe man said. "I haven't seen the Firelord since the start, and I can't remember seeing General Hanh, either. There's no one organising any of this shit."

Sokka growled under his breath, looking back the way the spirits had come.

"You can either come with me or get yourselves somewhere safe," he said.

"With all due respect there ain't anywhere safe round here," the Water Tribe man replied, and the two Fire Nation men with them hissed their agreements. It was then that a large burst of fire grabbed their attention, it's crack filling the air and lighting the area up for a moment, Sokka shielding his eyes. It might not be Zuko, he reasoned, but if there was anyone powerful enough to create a fire burst like that then it was him.

"Alright, this way," he said, before taking off, jumping over the dead spirits and sprinting in the direction of the fire.

Relief and panic spread across his body as he rounded the last corner, taking in the scene before him. It was Zuko alright, the Firelord looking just as bloody as Sokka probably did, his dual swords held in front of him as fire licked at his heels, flickering on the bodies of the spirits he had slain, but he was hugely out-numbered. Zuko wasn't the only one there. He could seen Mamoru close to him, bow and arrow in hand as she shot back the spirits that approached, and Ty Lee looking uncharacteristically exhausted, her Kyoshi warrior make-up almost washed from her face from sweat and grime, holding what looked like Mamoru's sword in her hand. He watched as another spirit broke free from the burned up bodies and throw itself as Zuko, but Mamoru was quick to the punch, her arrow taking flight and striking the spirit in the center of it's forehead, bringing it to the ground.

"Zuko!"

The Firelord looked round, eyes wide for a moment before a relieved grin spread across his face at the sight of Sokka. But there was no time to celebrate. The sound of what could have been a hundred growls and screeches filled the air, and Sokka realised that Zuko's fireburst had done more than gain just his attention, spirits now narrowing in on their location. He saw Zuko's face pale as he came to the same conclusion, stepping protectively in front of Ty Lee as she let out a frustrated yell, holding the sword to her in a way that seemed entirely un-natural to her.

"She can't chi-block them," he hissed under his breath, finally understanding why the usually so nimble warrior was holding a weapon she had no experience in. Her fans were nowhere to be seen, and his stomach lurched. What had the Kyoshi Warriors already faced? Gripping his sword he raced across the clearing to where his three comrades were standing, the three soldiers close at his heals.

"Good to see you're still standing," Zuko said, nudging his shoulder against him as Sokka stood close, eyes peeled for the spirits that were zeroing in on them.

"Yeh, just about," he replied. "You seen Suki? My dad?"

Zuko said nothing, swallowing and shaking his head. Sokka growled, trying not to let his disappointment get the better of him.

"Firelord Zuko, to our left!" Mamoru's voice called out, and the group swung round, as five huge dark spirits sprinted towards them. Like the others, they were animalistic in shape, wide snapping jaws, yellow eyes, fur and skin a deep blue that was almost black, claws and talons bared.

"Same as before!" Sokka called. "Zuko, firebending guy, aim your flames at their faces and blind them. The rest of us swing at them! Throats, faces, whatever fatal point you can reach!"

"Got it!" called the Water Tribe man, swinging his club in his hands in anticipation, whilst the firebender could only nod with wide eyes.

The five heavy spirits, with glowing eyes and snarling teeth, crashing in, just as Zuko and the firebender let the flames lose into their face, their two bursts combining into one and, just as before, the spirits howled out in pain and frustration as their eyes were blind. Sokka and the others charged, his teeth grit as he aimed for the throat of the largest spirit, but whether it had been pure fluke last time or these spirits were stronger, the recovered far too quickly. Sokka felt his breath catching in his throat, too much momentum in his movement to stop as the monkey-spirits scorched yellow eyes connected with his. It's claw swung out, and pain exploded in his chest, the air forced from his lungs as he was thrown backwards, his back colliding hard with a stone wall. He heard someone yelling his name, he heard more snarling, but the pain in his back and chest was far too great for him to focus on anything else but in that moment, gasping for breath and coughing.

"Sokka!"

Fire lit the clearing again, and he could just make out the shape of Zuko, the bender seeming to abandon all restraint as he kicked out with his heels, a great arch of fire burning the spirits. As they cried and shrank back, he duck his head and ran in, his dual swords drawn as he slashed at them with a running leap. Sokka coughed again, his body burning as he reached up to wipe the spit from his mouth. His chest constricted then, and he took a shaking hand away from his face, unfocused eyes looking down at the blood he had just coughed up onto his wrist.

"Zuko, look out!"

The Firelord ducked, just as one of the more reptilian-looking spirits swiped at him, and Ty Lee used that moment to cut at it with her sword. More fire burst, arrows and clubs swinging through the air, and Zuko's eyes burned as though they too might catch fire. Sokka blinked, the dark spots in the corner of his vision making it difficult to see what was going on, but he could still see how furious his friend was, and he wanted to call out to him. Wanted to yell at him to be careful ... he was being too reckless.

"Z-Zu-" he coughed again, his hand pressed against his painful chest.

But Zuko wasn't done, and for the first time that he could remember he felt himself almost completely lose control to his anger. He had long abandoned any grace and decorum, such as he had had to adopt in the years since becoming the Firelord, and he fought with the same ferocity as he had done as a teenager when hatred had been his only driving force. He kicked off his his heel from the ground, fire bursting beneath him and launching him up higher than the only remaining spirit that he and the others had yet to slay, and with both swords held at the hilt he fell, driving the blades into the base of it's skull. He landed heavily, panting hard and covered in black blood, before sheaving his broadswords and looking widely around him for where Sokka had been thrown.

"Sokka!"

The Water Tribe warrior grunted painfully when he felt the hand on his shoulder, his entire torso tense and aching.

"Hey, talk to me, can you hear me?"

"Y-yeh," Sokka managed, grimacing as his blue eyes focused unsteadily on Zuko's wide amber ones. "I know T-Toph would have something smart to say there."

Zuko let out a short laugh of relief, looking back over his shoulder for a moment at the uncertain group that hovered around them.

"I need to help Sokka," he said, "keep an eye out."

"Yes, Firelord," Mamoru said, her hand gesturing to the two Firelord soldiers who were quick to drop into a defensive stance. Even the Water Tribe warrior, who was neither known by any of them or with any loyalty to the Firelord himself, took position.

"Alright, tell me what hurts, can you breath ok? Stand?"

"I'm gonna be honest with you here, buddy," Sokka managed, "it might be a hell of a lot easier for me to tell you what doesn't." He groaned as he tried to adjust his position against the stone. "Broken ribs, definitely, my shoulder fucking kills, and tell you what I took a blow to the head at one point and it might just be starting to catch up with me."

"Well, you can talk at least, so there's that," Zuko muttered. "We've got to get you somewhere safe. Come on, let's get you up."

Zuko moved onto the side of him opposite to the shoulder that Sokka had gestured to, throwing Sokka's left arm around his shoulder and gripping his waist tight. Sokka had felt pain before, he'd broken his leg, taken more than a few blows when fighting in the past, but he was not prepared for the full-body onslaught that was about to be unleashed on him as he tried to get to his feet, and it was all he could do not to scream. His teeth grit, a deep howl in his chest and he fought through the pain.

"Fuck," he spat, leaning heavily against Zuko and panting. "Nope, no way. No. Put me down put me down-"

Panicked Zuko slid back to the ground with him, Sokka collapsing back against the stone, his chest rising and falling as yet more blood seeped from between his lips. He didn't need to see the look on Zuko's face to know that it was bad. It was far far worse than he had first thought.

"You're gonna have to leave me here," he managed.

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Buddy, I'm fucked," Sokka breathed, looking back at him through squinted eyes. "Suki's still out there somewhere, you've got to find her for me, ok? Make sure she's ok-"

"No, you can do that yourself," Zuko replied bluntly, and Sokka had never seen such a childish expression on the young man's face before, his lips practically pouting as he completely refused to accept the reality of the situation.

"Zuko, I'm literally coughing up a lung here, I'm not going anywhere," Sokka growled. He reached out, grabbing onto the front of Zuko's tunic and bring the man as close as his strength would allow, his blue eyes connecting desperately with his. "Find Suki. Please."

In any other situation, he might have been moved at the expression in Zuko's face, and the tears that seemed to swim in his amber eyes, but right how he only felt anger. Anger that he was still here. Anger that Zuko was still wasting time with him, and then finally the Firelord seemed to understand, his watery eyes hardening. He swallowed, his hand reaching out and gripping Sokka's wrist for a moment, before he nodded his head.

"We'll come back for you," he said.

"Sure sure, just go!" Sokka choked, coughing up yet more blood. Zuko's face was a picture of agony as he looked down at his friend, before he turned his heel and ran back towards Mamoru and the other's, Sokka watching with relief as the left the clearing, his head resting back on the stone. He could feel his breath bubbling in his chest, and he shut his eyes tight. He wasn't an expert, not by any stretch, but he was pretty sure that he was a goner by this point. Any attempt to move left him reeling, and a single glance down onto his chest revealed that there was a blossoming red mark across the front of his tunic. Yeh, he was pretty sure he wasn't getting back up from this.

With as much effort as he could muster he tipped his head back up the the sky, eyes searching, hoping that perhaps this time he would look up and see maybe a figure on a glider swooping over him. That perhaps Aang would come back, that he would arrive just in time to stop more from dying. But the sky remained the same dark murderous orange that it had been for days, and he felt the hot tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, bitter curses leaving his lips. He'd done all that he could, right? He had to have faith that Aang and Katara would come back ... right?

As if in direct retaliation to his words, he heard the sound of a low growl and he shut his eyes tight.

"Great," he muttered. "Real great."

He opened his eyes again, looking down to see a smaller spirit hesitantly making it's way towards him, growling and pausing, sniffing the air. With a pained whimper he reached his good arm around his back, his hand gripping his boomerang, before the spirit took that as the sign it needed to attack, Sokka throwing it with all the strength that he had left as both their cries filled the air.


	34. Start of the Siege

In a cold damp cave just on the outskirts of Caldera, Xing Ying paced back and forth, her hands twisting together anxiously, her eyes wide as she muttered under her breath. The sounds of the spirits' attack could be heard even from where they were, sheltered in an alcove on one of the many islands dotting the lands of the Fire Nation, and the two bison with them had both retreated back, their bodies shaking as the smaller of the two made insistent whining noises. Kanto stood at the edge of the cave, he had not moved in minutes, the knuckles of his minutely shaking hands white as he gripped onto the rock. Toph leaned against the stone, her hands pressed over her ears as she curled in on herself, willing for the incredible pain in her torso to die down, for the screams to stop, to stop being so weak and so worthless and so ... so _useless_.

"We have to do something, we _have to_ ," Xing Ying said, her voice shaking as she continued to pace. "We can't stay here ... they need help!"

"And what exactly are you supposed to do about it?" Toph finally snarled, tearing her hands from her ears and bearing her teeth at the girl, wincing as the movement tore a fresh wave of pain across her abdomen. "You can't even fucking bend! You'll just get in the way and get yourself killed."

Xing Ying threw her a hurt look, her wide brown eyes dancing with tears, before she turned sharply to where Kanto was standing.

"And what about you? What do you think?" she asked, and Kanto visibly winced from his place by the entrance.

"Who cares what he thinks?" Toph spat. She was being overly harsh, she knew it, but she was in too much pain to care. She knew full damn well what was happening down there, she didn't need to see it to understand what those screams meant. People were dying down there, they were being slaughtered by the spirit's, and she had to assume that her friends were among them. It was over.

"Toph," Xing Ying whispered, reproachfully. "M-maybe we can bring more people back here? Y-Yee Li is still back at the Palace ... she-"

"Quit it!"

Xing Ying fell silent, her expression shocked and pained, too hurt to argue back.

"Look, she's got a point," Kanto said finally, hesitantly looking back over his shoulder. "There might be something that we can do and I-" he stopped, his face hardening. "I can't stay here whilst my entire Tribe is ..." He couldn't finish that statement, and he didn't need to. All three of them knew what he had been trying to say. Toph growled, throwing her hands over her ears again and pulling her knees up to her chest, leaning into the pain. She understood it, of course she did. If it wasn't for her stupid body there wouldn't be a damn thing on this earth that would stop her from charging down there to help her friends. She ached. Where _was_ Twinkletoes? Why was he letting this happen?

"Fine," she grumbled at last, keeping her face averted from both of them. "Do what you want."

"I-" Kanto stopped again. His expression was pained, his chest hurt and his hands shook, and as big a part of him wanted to go and help his Tribe another wanted to stay here with Toph, to protect her as he had promised Sokka he would do. He threw a somewhat desperate glance in Xing Ying's direction, and with a slight twitch of the lips she looked away, taking his place by the entrance, her distracted gaze trying to make sense of what was going on through the orange haze. Kanto walked towards Toph before crouching on the ground beside her, his hand reaching out to nudge her elbow.

"I get it," he said, quietly. "You're pissed off and feeling helpless and for someone like you not being able to do anything must be torture."

She kept her face buried in her knees.

"But I can't stay here and do nothing, either," he continued. "So I'll go for both of us, yeh?"

She swallowed, looking up slowly and inclining her head in his direction.

"Asshole, don't get killed," she mumbled, and a wide grin lit Kanto's crooked features, his laugh a graceless snort. He leaned forward, daring to press a kiss against her lips only for her to grab the front of his tunic and pull him closer to her. From her place by the cave entrance Xing Ying looked back at them, the saddest smile on her lips.

"Innua, can you stay here with Toph?"

"But Yee-Li-"

"I'll look for her," Kanto promised quickly. "Stay here with Yuva so you guys can get away if you need to. I'll bring back everyone I can on Appa."

Xing Ying looked doubtful, her heart aching, but eventually she agreed, nodding her head once. Kanto walked back to Appa, who groaned at him uncertainly.

"It's ok, Appa," Xing Ying said, standing beside the Water Tribe warrior and placing a hand on the bison's large face. "You can trust him."

Appa's large eyes looked between the pair of them, his upper lip still curled and defensive, before he shifted, holding his body low to the ground and snorting in Kanto's direction.

"Thanks Xing Ying," Kanto said, before climbing up onto the neck of the bison, his hands gripping onto the reins still attached to his horns.

"Wait, you'll need this," Xing Ying said quickly, pulling the bison whistle out from under the breast of her tunic and passing it to him. "Just in case you're separated."

"Ok. Uh, what do I say to get him going again?"

"Yip yip," Xing Ying replied, and to that Appa got to his six large feet, shaking his large body once before he swooped out from the cave, Kanto holding on for dear life.

He had been able to see some of what was going on from their place in the cave, but it wasn't until Appa soured out over the city of Caldera that he could see the full extent of the suffering and destruction caused by the spirit's. He face greened and he gripped the reins tight as he saw what was unmistakably bloodied bodies lying across the marble floors, both human and spirit. He swallowed. Notably more human. He could still hear screams, the sounds of people fighting for their lives and spirit's howling with hunger, and it was all he could do not to turn Appa back the way he had come. It was just as Toph had said ... what could he possibly do to help? He shook his head, gritting his teeth. No, if he could save one person, even just one, then that was enough ...

As if by fate itself, he heard a loud cracked yell that he thought he recognised, and Appa seemed to perk up at that, twisting in the air before Kanto even had a chance to direct him, flying with a new urgency. He leaned over the front of Appa's head, eyes fixed on the ground below him where he could see a largish clearing among the shops and houses. A massacre had obviously taken place here, with spirit bodies littering the ground, flames still flickering in places, but what grabbed his attention was the bloodied body collapsed against the wall of one of the buildings, his arm reaching out to try and grab the boomerang returning to him. His stomach lurched as he recognised the face of Sokka even through the blood, and saw the spirit stalking towards him, and he hadn't a second to think, angling Appa low to the ground and grabbing the whaletooth club from it's place on his back as they went. With a yell, the sound distracting the spirit that looked up with a wide mouthed snarl, he leaped from Appa, swinging the club. The spirit collapsed beneath the large warrior, the force of his club hitting it's chest not enough to kill it, and it writhed beneath him, jaws reaching out to try and bite down on his arms. But Kanto was quick to bring his club down a second time, smashing it against it's face once, twice, and again until it's twitching stopped.

Panting Kanto got to his feet, pulling a face as he looked down at the sticky black blood splattered across his blue tunic, before looking back to where Sokka lay against the wall.

"You're supposed to be looking out for Toph!" Sokka screamed, or tried to scream. His voice broke, and he started coughing violently, his hand against his chest as blood splattered against his hand. Kanto sheathed his club and ran towards the other warrior, swiftly dropping to his side.

"Toph's fine," he said, grabbing Sokka's fisted hand to look at the blood. "Which is more than I can say for you-"

"Tell me something I don't know," Sokka growled, but his strength was fading, and he rest his head back on the stone, his eyes shutting.

"Hey, no, don't go to sleep," Kanto snapped, slapping Sokka on the cheek and getting a fresh snarl for his troubles. "What happened?"

"Spirit got me," Sokka replied. But Kanto realised he didn't need Sokka to go into further details and he listened the bubbling in his breathing, the blood from his mouth and spreading across his chest. He reached out, grabbing the bottom of Sokka's tunic and pulling it up.

"Hey," Sokka protested, trying to swat his hand away, but Kanto could already see the puncture wound on the right side of his chest and he hissed.

"That ain't good," he said, dropping the tunic, his hands gently pressing against Sokka's shoulders and chest, feeling the damage. "Shit, this isn't good ..."

"Your bedside manner needs some work, buddy," Sokka groaned, his eyes drifting shut again. Kanto slapped his cheek harder this time.

"Stay awake! Ok, we need to get you out of here. I'd guess most of your ribs are broken, your shoulder blade almost certainly, and you've a puncture in your lung."

"That all?" Sokka moaned weakly. Kanto got to his haunches, before placing his large arms under Sokka's back and knees, the warrior beginning to protest again.

"Hey, don't- put me the fuck down-"

"No choice." Kanto heaved, lifting Sokka bridlestyle, bracing himself against the weight. He might be bigger than Sokka, but only just. Sokka growled, his face burning red, somehow still finding the energy to feel embarrassed despite his pain.

"I hate you," he muttered, as Kanto carried him to Appa, placing him on the bison's back.

"I can't do anything for you," Kanto said, after making sure that Sokka was lying securely in the saddle. "But a healer might. Best I can do right now is get you somewhere safe."

Sokka groaned, turning his head to look at the Northern Warrior, feeling concern in his chest in spite of himself.

"You've got no idea how dangerous it is here," Sokka hissed, struggling with the last of his breath. "You'll be killed-"

"Hey, I've kissed Toph twice and she hasn't murdered me," Kanto interrupted with a crooked grin. "I'm pretty sure that means I'm invincible."

Sokka's upper lip curled. "Asshole. Hope you get eaten."

Kanto snorted with laughter, double checking that he still had the bison whistle to call Appa back when he needed him, before patting the bison on the shoulder.

"Take him back to the others, Appa."

The bison groaned, before taking off, flying slowly and carefully back in the direction that they had come. He pulled his club back from it's sheath, keeping himself close to the walls and he started to progress deeper into the city, heading back to the Palace.

 **ooo**

Zuko wasn't sure how he had been so successfully separated from Mamoru and the others, the sound of his boots echoing down the empty alleys of the city. Not long after leaving Sokka back in the clearing, a large group of spirits had swooped in on them, and in the confusion Zuko had found himself forced to run back he way he had come, picking off the spirits as each of them came from him. He hoped that Mamoru had the sense not to waste time looking for him, that she would put the safety of the people that were with her first, getting them back to the Palace. He knew the city well, and he knew which pathways would be the most secluded, it probably made him one of the least vulnerable people here and Ty Lee and the others needed Mamoru's protection more. He hurried down the alley, keeping his body close to the walls as he peered round each corner, eyes searching for spirits and anyone still left alive and fighting. So far, he had not seen a single soul, only the odd spirit still prowling and searching for prey, and he wasn't sure if that was a relief to him or not. He could only hope that most people had been able to group up in the Palace by now where they could better defend themselves.

He had finally found his way to one of the larger central courtyards of the city, where once a large statue of his father had stood before Zuko had ordered it demolished and replaced with market space. The market square was empty now, there had been no supplies to stock it for months now, and it left this desolute looking space where once there had been so much life. It distressed Zuko how much like a ghost town his city now resembled, and after taking a quick look for any spirits that might be lying in wait, he started to walk across the courtyard, his hands on the hilt of his broadswords the whole time.

"Firelord Zuko!"

Zuko froze, his hackles rising as he turned on his heel, recognising the voice. Behind him, having slipped out from one of the darker alleyways, stood General Hanh, a look of unadulterated hatred across his face as he looked back at the Firelord. Zuko groaned.

"I don't have time for this, Hanh," he said. The man was no threat to him, and he didn't need to waste any energy on him. He turned his back to the General, going to walk across the courtyard, before he found his way barred ahead, a group of five Water Tribe warriors standing in his way, their weapons drawn. He growled deep in his throat.

"Looks like you'll just have to make time," Hanh spat, his lips curling into a sneer as Zuko looked back at him.

"You don't want to do this, Hanh," Zuko said, his hands dropping back to the hilt of his swords. "Don't you think we all have more important things to be dealing with?"

"Not me," Hanh replied. "I came here for one thing, and one thing only. Your head on a damn spike!"

Zuko scowled, glancing back at the Water Tribe warriors that lined up behind him. Ordinarily he wouldn't have worried about facing any of them, no matter how murderous their glares were, but fighting spirits had taken it's tole on him, and truthfully he was starting to put a huge strain on himself by continuing. As experienced as he was, he could feel his firebending starting to falter, his breathing less even and staggered, and he had no idea what kind of abilities he should expect from Hanh's little gang. He eyed them again, making note of which ones held weapons and which didn't, and surmised that at least three of them were likely to be waterbenders.

"You need your buddies to make that happen, huh?" Zuko sneered. "Can't take me on your own?"

Hanh huffed, his gaze darkening. But even his pride wasn't about to win out his head, and he gripped his spear tighter.

"Killing you is the only thing that matters," he said. "It's the only way there'll ever be any vindication for my Tribe, and for what you and your family put us through!"

Zuko wanted to remind him that it wasn't he that ordered an army to the Northern Water Tribes doors, that it was Zhao not him that killed the moon spirit and took the Chief's daughter from him, but he was sure that none of that would matter to Hanh. He knew as much as anyone how much thoughts of revenge and honor overcame all reason and there wasn't anything that he could say to Hanh to make him back down. He drew his broadswords, his teeth grit as he tried to keep an eye on Hanh and the five warriors behind him.

"Get him!"

The waterbenders were the first to attack, and Zuko saw their waterwhips forming and launching towards him, hardening into ice, and Zuko kicked off, his legs twisting in the air as the ring of fire formed around him. But the two non-benders in the group had already started their own attacks in that time, using the burst of fire to hide their movements, and Zuko was forced to bring his swords up above his head, pushing back against the club that swung down towards his head. With another yell let the fire cover his arms and swords, swing it down and exploding out backwards, sending those warriors nearest to him flying backwards. The waterbenders were ready with their own counter-attack, the ground at his feet becoming slick before freezing over and he felt his feet give way beneath him before he had a chance to jump free. With a pained grunt he landed hard on the ground, one of the warriors taking advantage of this moment to swing his sword towards Zuko's face. His eyes widened, and he was forced to drop both his swords in that moment, throwing his palms forward as two great bursts of fire shot him backwards and out of his reach, rolling painfully on the ground with the effort.

He wiped the sweat and dirt from his eyes, his hair falling out of it's topknot and falling around his face as he panted hard. He had forced at least one of the warriors out of the fight at least, he realised, seeing the man lurch backwards as his arms burned. He hardly had a second to get his breath back, however, before he was set upon again, yet more ice coming his way in a sharp point aimed straight for his chest. He threw hands hands back to the ground, launching himself up into the air and out of reach before he landed hard to the side of them. His mind raced, dodging more waterwhips, and he realised that the waterbending was a much to consume his attention and energy as they were about attempting to hit him, the two warriors still holding weapons using these moments to slip in past his defenses and try to land a blow. But cornering a firebender was dangerous, and the fire breaking from his lips as he roared at them was enough to keep them from getting too close to him, and even without his broadswords he was still the kind of enemy that they couldn't let their guard down around.

With a swing of his sword one of the warriors tried to break through his defense, and Zuko reached out his hand, grabbing the mans wrist, the sinews across his arms bulging with the effort. The warrior was far bigger and far stronger than him, and he could see the look of triumph in his eyes, dreads falling down into his face, before he felt his feet kicked out from underneath him. He was only just able to roll out of the reach of the sword as it dug into the stone beside his face. Ice quickly spread across him, and he yelled out as he felt a hand grab his hair and pull him sharply upwards, breathing heavily. As he opened his mouth, teeth bared to breath fire about him something was shoved roughly into his mouth, realising that he had been gagged, his arms held at his back and frozen together, his head pulled backwards and his throat opened up. For a second he struggled, but as much as he howled into the gag he couldn't break himself free, his hands searing against the biting cold of their manacles.

"Well, that was a fucking disappointment," came a voice, and Zuko opened his burning amber eyes, looking down to see Hanh walked towards him, holding his spear out to one of his men before bringing a whaletooth dagger from it's sheath. The panic in Zuko's chest rose as he found himself focused on the knife, the way that Hanh dragged it through his fingertips in anticipation.

"If I had known the Firelord would be so easy to capture I wouldn't have waited this long!" Hanh's voice was tipped with delight, unable to stop the grin from splitting his features, the bloodlust clear in his eyes. "What, got nothing to say?"

Hanh pushed his face close to his, his grin cruel as he pointedly pushed at the gag in his mouth, causing Zuko to choke. It had been a long time since the Firelord had felt rage like he felt now, had wanted to hurt anybody quite as much as he wanted to hurt Hanh. He was far beyond embarrassment at being caught, and his entire body felt like it was heating up. He growled, trying to suck as much air in through his nose as he could, channeling his breath across his body, focusing on his hands.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this," Hanh breathed, still close. Zuko felt the cold weight of the dagger on his throat, following by the sharp sting that came with it pressed against the fragile skin of his neck. "And now, finally, I get to be the one that kills the Firelord."

There was no time, Zuko realised, his heart hammering in his chest as the ice around his wrists refused to shift, his hands not hot enough to melt through it before Hanh slit his throat. He was going to die here, and there was nothing that he could do. He scowled, fixing Hanh with the foulest glare he could muster. He wouldn't give the fool the satisfaction of seeing him struggle, seeing him scared-

"Oi, Hanh!"

Hanh blinked, momentarily distracted as he turned to look behind him, before a hard steel objected connected with the center of his forehead, dropping him in an instant. The warriors looked around in confusion, their guard dropping just long enough for Zuko to take advantage of it, dropping suddenly to his knees and wrenching his fists apart as hard as he possible could, before the fire spread about him once more, throwing all four of the warriors into the air before they collided hard with the buildings around them.

For a moment, Zuko could only stay crouched there, panting heavily, one hand reaching up to grab his throat and feeling the warmth of the blood there, before he looked up in disbelief. He knew the weapon that had taken Hanh down, he would recognised Sokka's boomerang anywhere, but there was no way that Sokka could have recovered enough now to help him. His eyes widened and his jaw fell slack, however, when he found himself looking at no other than Kanto.

"K-Kanto," Zuko stammered, as he got to his feet. Then, "where did you get Sokka's boomerang?"

"He left it behind," Kanto replied, picking it up from where it had landed at his feet. "I found him back there-" he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "He's in a pretty bad way."

"We have to go back and get him," Zuko said, starting to march forward, but Kanto held up his large hands.

"It's ok, I sent him back on Appa. But we're going to need to get a healer to him as soon as we can if he's going to stand a chance."

Zuko nodded dumbly, his mind still numb, before he looked down at where Hanh was lying, his forehead bright red. He had to fight back the rising urge to spit on the man.

"Your hand wraps," Zuko said, holding out one of his sooty palms to Kanto. "Pass me one."

Bemused, Kanto unwrapped his left hand, before passing the soiled fabric to the Firelord. Zuko was quick to push Hanh onto his front, grabbing each of his hands and tying them roughly behind his back. Kanto noticed just how tightly he pulled the wraps, but decided to stay quiet on the matter before Zuko grabbed the collar of Hanh's shirt, pulling him roughly into a sitting position.

"I need to thank you," Zuko said, looking back to Kanto. "You saved my life."

"Hey, you asked me if you could trust me," Kanto replied. "I hope that answers your question."

"Hmm."

They stood in silence for a moment, Kanto suddenly feeling awkward and shuffling his feet whilst Zuko still felt his hands shaking minutely. It had come so close. He had been so close to dying there. If Kanto hadn't come then Hanh would have slit his throat ... he didn't like how much that thought scared him. A scowl fell across his face once more as he looked back in the direction of the Palace.

"We need to get going, I told Mamoru to get to the Palace, hopefully anyone else still out here is making their way there too."

"But, what about the spirits?" Kanto asked. "Shouldn't we be trying to take them out."

"Trust me," Zuko said, proceeding to drag Hanh across the ground by his wrists, "the two of us aren't going to stand much of a chance against them. Our best bet is to get as many people as possible together to fight them."

 **ooo**

Back in the Palace, Suki paced impatiently, her make-up almost gone from her face from the sheer amount of spirit blood and sweat that adorned her forehead, her violet eyes wide with worry. She had lost sight of both Sokka and Zuko almost at the start, she and Hakoda grabbed by the spirits and swept along the current of Water Tribe warriors fighting vanely against the wave. It was little less than a miracle that she and the Chief had been able to stay alive, let alone stay together, and they soon found themselves running through the streets, desperately searching for any of the others.

Eventually they made their way back to the Palace, relieved to see that they were not the only ones who had seen the landmark and decided to take shelter there. The spirits, for whatever reason, had not breached it just yet, and the howls were still heard as they stalked and prayed on anyone who still remained outside. It brought fear to their hearts, but more than anything is brought pain. Suki could not stop imaging any one of those screams to be Sokka. She was going mad with worry, she felt sick, and though he wasn't pacing like Suki was, she could tell that Hakoda was feeling much the same as she was.

Momentarily relief came, however, when fresh pounding came on the door of the Palace, the guards inside opening the doors as General Mamoru, Ty Lee, and three others came spilling in. Suki took of in an instant, her feet moving before he head, her arms wrapping around the form of Ty Lee.

"Ty Lee! You're ok!"

"I'm fine," Ty Lee breathed, though she looked severely shaken. Hakoda was quick to Suki's side, looking to Mamoru.

"Zuko, Sokka?"

But at that Ty Lee's stiffened, her face dropping as she pulled herself quickly from Suki's grip.

"What?" Suki demanded, her eyes widening. Mamoru was busy looking at the crowd.

"The Firelord? Is he not here?"

"No," Hakoda replied, "most of us are still missing."

"I- we were separated," Mamoru said, her voice low and pained. "I thought ... I hoped ..."

"What about Sokka?" Suki said, grabbing Ty Lee's shoulders. She felt Hakoda's deep intake of breath as he saw the expression on Ty Lee's voice.

"We ... we had to leave him."

Suki's face paled, for a moment neither she nor the Chief were able to move, let alone comprehend what Ty Lee had said, what her words meant.

"What do you mean, you had to leave him?" Hakoda said, his voice shaking with restrained rage. Mamoru took note of his tone, and she quickly pushed herself between the Chief and Ty Lee.

"It wasn't an easy decision," she said, holding her palms forward as if to keep the calm. "Take a step back, please, and I'll explain it."

"Take a step back?" Hakoda all but yelled, before he caught the wide-eyed and fearful expression on Ty Lee's face and winced, gritting his teeth. He stepped back, breathing hard through his nose.

"What happened?" Suki demanded. "Where is he?"

"Sokka, and the three men that just came in joined up with us," Mamoru explained. "We were attacked by a large group of spirits and one of them ... one of them caught General Sokka in the chest."

Suki gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth.

"The Firelord he tried to pick him up and take him with us but ... the nature of his injuries, there was no way we could get him here without causing more damage. He told us to leave him, to find you instead."

Suki didn't even know what to say, and the tears started to fall freely down her cheeks. But Hakoda was already stormed past her, towards the door, determined to find his son.

"No, Chief Hakoda!" Mamoru cried, running forwards and grabbing the man by the arm. "You can't go out there, there is no way you'll be able to survive long enough to get to your son-"

"I can't stay here, either!" Hakoda retorted, his blue eyes blazing furiously.

"I'm coming with you," Suki breathed, and Mamoru could only groan in frustration.

"You can't go out there!"

But he sound of further pounding grabbed their attention, and quickly the doors were pulled open, to reveal none other than the Firelord himself, his long hair unbound and matted around his face, dried blood across his neck, with a bound Hanh being dragged behind him.

"Firelord Zuko!" Mamoru cried in relief, but Suki had already pushed past her, charging up to Zuko before she slapped him, hard, around the face.

For a moment, no one moved. Kanto, who no one had seemed to have noticed just yet, hovered uncomfortably to the side, and Mamoru herself was for once too shocked to take action. Zuko blinked, one sooty hand reaching up to press against his cheek.

"Sokka!" she snarled. A shadow crossed across Zuko's face. "How could you leave him? How could you?"

"I-" Zuko hesitated, his voice breaking, and he found no words would come to him as he just lowered his head in shame. He knew Sokka had insisted that they leave, he knew that, but that didn't mean he should have left him. Maybe he should have stayed behind whilst Mamoru and the other got away ... he shouldn't have left him.

"Wait, wait," Kanto said, stepping forward now. Suki and Hakoda both shot him the filthiest looks they could at his interruption, and the Northern man winced before continuing. "I found Sokka," he explained. "I put him on Appa and sent him back to where Toph and Xing Ying are hiding. He's not out there!"

Suki whimpered in relief, and Hakoda seemed close to collapsing at her side.

"Is he ok?" he asked. Kanto bit his lip, hesitating.

"Look, I'm going to be honest, he's not in great shape. Whatever spirit caught him was strong, it punctured one of his lungs and broke most of his ribs-" Suki whimpered again. "And I'm sure there are a lot of other broken bones. He needs to see a healer sooner rather than later. A waterbending healer. He's not going to make it otherwise."

"Ok, then we go and get him," Hakoda said. "Where are they?"

"A cave just outside of the city," Kanto replied, pulling the bison whistle from the front of his tunic. "But, does it seem wise to bring Sokka back here?"

"We can't spare the only healers we have," Hakoda said, his voice full of regret. "There are others injured. The only way Sokka can see a healer is if we bring him here."

"Ok, sure-"

But just as Kanto brought the whistle to his lips, fresh howls broke out across the city, filling the citizens crowed inside of the Palace with fear as they huddled closer together.

"Shit," Zuko hissed, pushing the still unconscious Hanh against one of the walls, turning and slamming the doors of the Palace shut. "They've obviously finished out there. They'll be coming here next."

"But, Sokka-"

"We can't risk bringing Appa here," Hakoda said soften, placing a hand on Suki's shoulder. She held her head to the side, her pain evident as she looked up at him. "I know ... I-" he grit his teeth, trying to fight back the tears threatening to spill for his eyes. "I know."

"This is our last defense," Zuko said, standing before them. "Everyone left here who can fight should fight! The old, children, anyone injured, you need to get deeper into the Palace. We'll do everything we can to protect you."

There was a rush of activity as people scrambled to the back of the entrance hall, filing their way out, and understandably there seemed to be far less people willing to fight than any of them had hoped. Zuko tried not to blame any of them, even his own men that were trying to escape the spirit onslaught, but his stomach lurched uncomfortably. He placed a hand to his cut throat, his amber eyes darting to where Hanh lay unconscious on the ground and he grit his teeth. He wasn't going to be caught out being weak again.


	35. Meet Me Down the River Road

"I'm sorry."

Aang stood still, his hands clenched into fists as he fought through the pain in his arms and hips, his world crashing around once more as he saw Katara held firm against Tonrar, the frustration evident in her eyes. How had this happened? He thought he was prepared, he had had him ... he had _had_ him. How did it all slip through his fingers again? After everything?"

"Let her go, Tonrar," he said, his voice shaking, his fear and anger obvious on his features, standing beneath the wave of magma that hissed and cooled at his side. "I won't ask you again."

Tonrar's jaw clenched, and he pulled Katara's head back further, the waterbender hissing at the contact of the rock against her throat.

"Or you'll do what?" Tonrar said, his expression grim. "You could hardly take care of a few spirit benders! You are _weak_." Aang bristled, and in spite of himself he felt his gaze drop down to Innua, who stood unsteadily beside Tonrar, her broken arm cradled close against her. He had come prepared, had he not? And yet here she still stood, between him and Katara. Swallowing he looked back to Tonrar and Katara, his mind racing. There were still three spirit benders to contend with, and though he knew that he could use spiritual energy to a degree, it wasn't good enough, not strong enough to take on them and Tonrar. Whatever spirit was contained in that tree was having such a huge effect on his Avatar Spirit that he simply couldn't confidently keep control over her.

"As I thought," Tonrar scoffed. There was disappointment in his tone, looking down at the Avatar with contempt in his face. "We're done here." He nodded his head, and the three remaining spirits began to stalk towards Aang, Tonrar's arm stretching across Katara's face as he placed the sharp rock under ear, ready to slice across her throat. Aang stepped forward, knowing that the only thing he had left to him was the Avatar State, but then he saw Katara's eyes widen, her head shaking just a fraction, before glancing downwards. His eyes followed her gaze and saw that she had bent a knife of her own from the water remaining in her flask, so distracted by taunting the Avatar that Tonrar hadn't noticed.

 _Katara ..._ he bent rock from the ground once more, readying himself, just as Katara yelled out and brought her fist back, the ice dagger slicing straight into Tonrar's side. Tonrar screamed, his hand letting go of Katara's hair as she dropped to the ground at his feet, the spirit bending double as he grabbed at the dagger still embedded in his dark skin. Aang snarled, throwing the rock with all the strength he had towards the spirit, and before Tonrar could do a single thing in defense, he was thrown across the ground, the rocks hitting him with a loud crunch, burying his body beneath them. Breathing heavily, ignoring the pain in his arms, Aang brought flame to his fists, ready to attack the spirit benders next, but before he could do anything they vanished.

For a moment, no one moved, Innua collapsing back on the ground as she looked at the pile of unmoving rock under which her father was buried, Katara with her hand to her throat as she too looked over in disbelief.

"I- is it over?" Aang breathed. He dropped his flames, frozen for just a heartbeat before he rushed to Katara's side, grabbing her shoulder and checking her for any cuts. But, she seemed to have come out of her encounter with Tonrar unscathed.

"M-maybe."

 _"No ... no, no, no ..."_ Innua began to whimper, and Aang and Katara looked across to her, the half-spirit burying her face in her remaining good hand, rocking back and forth. But Aang had no empathy left to give, and he looked sharply in the direction he knew Koh would be imprisoned, getting to his feet. They had already wasted too much time.

A deep crater had been dug into the grounds towards the base of the Tree, Aang flinching as he got close to it, trying hard to ignore the pain that coiled in his chest, focused only on freeing Koh, on fixing the tear. Rock and ice entwined across the surface like the bars of a cell, and though it was dark Aang could just make out the shape of something huge buried within.

"Koh?"

The spirit didn't reply, and Aang felt his stomach drop, his face paling. _No ... no, don't let him be dead ... this can't have been for nothing!_ He swiftly bent the bars of the cell away, lighting the palm of his hand with a wince and looking down into the deep dark cave below.

"Aang? What's going on?"

"Koh? Koh, can you hear me?"

But the spirit hadn't a chance to respond before the ground beneath Aang's feet started to shake, the sound of cracking coming from his right. Frowning, his heart hammering, he looked around, and watched in horror as the rocks under which Tonrar had been buried started to move, a deep red glow breaking through the gaps.

"What the-" he hadn't a chance to finish that statement before the rock burst outwards, Katara screaming as she was forced to pull a shield of water in front of herself and Innua to protect them from the blast. Aang's mouth gaped, his blood running cold, as Tonrar stood up from the rubble, his red eyes sneering, and the red lines across his body burning.

"Raava," Tonrar growled, his body flexing, the red welts across his forehead seeming to expand, spreading outwards. _"Raava!"_ He seemed to howl in pain as his body began to split, each of those red welts stretched with a sickening sound, his chest and hands convulsing and bulging in turn. Tonrar's body continued to coil and grow until he stood a full three heads taller than Aang, his mouth stretching wide and revealing the several rows of teeth inside of them as his face split from ear to ear.

 _Some of us simply do not choose to reveal our true forms to humans_. Aang vaguely remembered the words that Sunny had said, the words that Tonrar had told him when he had first me the spirit. He had never met a spirit with so humanoid an appearance as Tonrar's, and he realised that his human body was just a cover for what was held beneath. Of course, how could he have spent so much time among the humans in this form? He inadvertently took a step back, eyes wide as he looked at the hulking, screaming figure that now faced him, Tonrar stretching his body out, still howling at the pain.

"Katara, get away from there!" Aang yelled, his voice coming back to him. Katara was only just able to jump out of the way as Tornar lunged towards her, his giant clawed hands making a swipe at her. She gathered what remained of her water, using it to form a slide that she slid on, taking herself as far away from Tonrar as she could get in that moment. Tonrar growled, before turning his face to Aang once more.

"Now, look what you made me do," he snarled, his voice sounding gravely more animalistic and less controlled, the only real recognisable part of him now those intelligent red eyes that fixed upon Aang. "I prefer not to use this form, you know."

"Yeh, I'm not surprised," Aang breathed, his mouth working faster than his head, and in his rage Tonrar tore directly at him, his giant hands gripping the rock and tearing it from the ground as he came, murder in his eyes. Aang jumped free, forcing the air beneath his hands to propel him over Tonrar's head, landing hard behind him and skidding across the ground. He had hardly a chance to turn before Tonrar was charging at him again, his wide mouth wide as if he had every intention of sinking those teeth into Aang's body, and Aang blasted fire forwards, relishing the sound of Tonrar howling again as fire burned his face. He grabbed rock from the ground again, showering Tonrar's arched back with rocks, trying to bury him into the ground, but Tonrar's body was far more powerful in this form, and he shook them off like they were but hail. His bending wasn't going to be enough, he knew that, but being so close to the Tree he knew that he daren't risk trying to reach out for the spiritual energy around him. He hissed, glancing back to where Katara was. He didn't want to put her in danger like this, but he needed her help. Their eyes met, and she nodded, understanding.

"Hey, ugly!" Aang yelled, after taking a dive to the side, avoiding Tonrar's swinging claws. Tonrar snarled, leaping for him again, as Aang jumped backwards, trying to lead the spirit away from the Tree and away from Koh. He blasted yet more fire in his face, bracing himself against the seering pain in his arms, but this time Tonrar crossed his arms across his chest, shielding his vulnerable face from the fire.

"You can't fight me with the elements, Raava!" Tonrar yelled, his eyes meeting Aang's, his body glowing with the network of stretched red skin that cross-crossed across his body.

"Aang, it's not enough!"

Aang knew that, even as he used a blast of air to push himself backwards and out of the reach of the rampaging spirit again. They were further away from the Tree now, and Aang could feel it's effects on his lessening. It was now or never. He draw up a wall of earth in front of him, knowing that whilst it wouldn't stop Tonrar, it might slow him long enough for him to calm his mind and reach out, letting out a long slow breath. He sent his energy out, imagining it again like a sphere around him that he could grow or shrink as he needed to, before he felt his arms starting to hum with that familiar power, his connection to the ground beneath his feet allowing him to see far better than even his eyes could. He could feel Tonrar, he could feel the incredible pain and turmoil inside of him, and he grabbed hold of that, his teeth bared as he threw his palm forward just as he had done with Sansetsu. Just as Tonrar had done with him.

It was as though the world opened up around him, and he saw memories that weren't his own play across his eyes like a waking dream. He saw Avatar Wan standing before him, one had raised and pointing. He saw the face of a child, eyes wide and terrified as he stalked closer to her, hunger coiling in his stomach. He saw a man stretch out before him, mouth drawn into a silent scream as a blue thread was pulled from his chest and his own heart cracked. He saw a beautiful woman lying bare beneath him, eyes desperately sad and intense. He saw Innua, her expression defiant before he finally saw himself, his expression that of utter hatred as he stood among rubble. A rush of emotions he almost couldn't handle washed over him. It was like when he took the bending of another person away, only this experience was far far stronger, and it _hurt._ This was nothing like controlling Sansetsu, who had given the control over to him so easily, so willingly. Tonrar fought back against him with everything he had, his body still dragging itself towards him, and Aang pushed back, his eyes flashing blue for a moment as the air picked up around them.

"How?" Tonrar whimpered, his large body starting to shrink, dropping to his knees and holding palms to his head, the pain inside of him so familiar to Aang. But Aang couldn't reply, he couldn't speak in that moment, fighting back against the pain and emotions swarming inside of him, pain and emotion that wasn't his own. It was too much, it was almost too much ... _it hurt._ Stopping Tonrar, trying to control him, required so much more energy than even maintaining the Avatar State, and his body subconsciously started reaching further and further to find more of it, inching closer and closer to the great Tree. He opened his eyes, watching as Tonrar fought back against him, watching as the spirit, now back in his human form, started to clamber back to his feet.

"Aang!"

He cried out with the effort, throwing both his hands forward. He could feel it now, that dark presence, and as if on cue his Avatar Spirit started to react, springing forward aggressively and in spite of his efforts, his eyes flashed blue as he fell into the Avatar State. He saw the triumph on Tonrar's face, seeing the turmoil between Aang and Raava once more before he reached out to take his chance, trying to take control of Aang now, but in that moment the Avatar dropped down his walls, for once letting the rage inside of him take control. Tonrar's face fell dramatically as the spiritual energy around them started to crackle, eyes sliding back to his daughter who lay so vulnerable behind him, before the familiar red mist started to fill the air, the ground starting to break apart beneath them.

"This is what you wanted, Tonrar," Aang spoke, his voice haunted, the Avatar Spirit speaking through him.

Tonrar held his hands out, eyes wide with horror as his fingers began to disintegrate, becoming part of the red mist, and Innua let out a confused yell as her skin began to shift in the same way. In a moment, Aang saw the welcome flash of blue at his side, Katara launching herself past him with her ice, grabbing Innua roughly by the back of her coat and pulling them both out of the red of Aang's destruction. She looked back at him with panicked, pained eyes, so many memories flashing before her as she took in the sight of the Avatar with his arms spread, the world around him crumbling to red dust.

The spirit cowering before him was paralyzed, unable to break free of the hold that Aang had over him, to flee from the red mist beginning to consume him, to break him down, his energy dispersing into the ether. Aang could feel the Avatar Spirit reaching out from inside him, her rage almost as great as his own, and he knew ... it was over. He would continue to break down Tonrar until there was nothing left. He could kill, he _would_ kill, because that was all that was left to him. That was what his duty demanded of him. But, it hurt, it hurt more than he had ever imagined, and he knew that tears tracked down his cheeks as his face contorted with the effort, his heart hammering and his soul protesting, hands shaking as he saw Tonrar make one last miserable effort to break free, fear and anguish across his face as they both knew ... the Avatar was going to take his life.

"Avatar!"

A new voice called out, and through narrowed pained eyes Aang looked over to see the large hulking figure of Koh pulling his broken body from the prison he had been held in. Upon his head was a gaping hold that once would have held one of the faces of his many victims, the sight and sound of his voice coming from that vacant space less than sickening, and he felt the Avatar Spirit inside of his shudder and panic, he gasping.

"You stupid child, stop!" Koh snarled, his voice hoarse, his body collapsing beneath itself. Aang's mind raced wildly, looking back to Tonrar, feeling the power humming and burning in his veins, watching as the ground beneath Tonrar's feet started to break apart too and ... his gaze flickering upwards ... _the Tree had begun to come apart._

"STOP!" Koh howled now, voice desperate, trying to drag his body closer even as the red mist touched his carapace, breaking him apart too.

Aang shut his eyes tight, pushing down the Avatar Spirit before falling heavily to his knees, panting. He had almost done it ... he had almost finished this, had almost finished Tonrar. But the price of that win? His hands still shook, outstretched before he clenched his fists in anger, letting his control over the spiritual energy around him fade.

For a moment, there was no sound other than the rough breathing of Tonrar, Koh, and the Avatar. The gentle whimpers of Innua from her place against Katara, who held her tight as she watched with mixed frustration and horror at all that was taking place in front of her.

"Enough," Koh breathed, his talons digging into the ground as he raised the place where his face had once been. "That's enough."

"You're wrong," Tonrar spoke now, and Aang raised his eyes to look at him. The spirit lay broken on the ground, both his hands now gone, but those red eyes still burning with fury. "Don't you understand now, Koh?"

"You're a fool!" Koh hissed back. "You'd risk freeing the spirit inside of this tree? You'd risk casting the entire world into darkness?"

"But the Avatar Spirit needs to die!" Tonrar yelled back, his voice breaking with the emotion of it, and Aang was horrified to see tears sparkling in the spirit's red eyes, leaving tracks down his dusty face, nothing by pain across his features.

"I agree," Koh sighed with effort, and Aang swallowed, feeling his chest stir. He dug his hands into the dirt beneath him. "But not yet. Not this incarnation."

"What are you talking about?" Innua cried now, pushing herself out of Katara's grip, her broken arm hanging at her side. "Why not now? WHY NOT NOW!"

"Because it is not the right time," Koh growled, his body outright giving way beneath him now. His breathing was ragged, pained, he was weak, and inexplicably Aang felt the urge rise beneath him to charge, to pierce the spirit where his dark heart would lie. _What were they talking about?_ Koh wanted the Avatar dead, too. But not yet? _What did that mean?_

"If you kill Raava now," Koh continued, "there will be nothing to stand between Vaatu and everything else! This vessel will die long before Vaatu breaks free-" Koh raised a pained talon in Aang's direction. "If you let all the humans die then it will be hopeless!"

"Vaatu? What are you talking about?" Aang managed, looking sharply between the three of them, before he felt the Avatar Spirit inside of him starting to coil furiously, and his eyes were dragged towards the huge tree that seemed to demand such primal fear from him.

"No," Tonrar said, ignoring Aang's question, as he struggled to get to his feet, his limbs shaking beneath him, the stumps of his arms pressing against the dirt. His cold red gaze was focused souly on Aang, the only thing present in those crimson eyes was hatred. "Even ten thousand years of darkness is better than this misery." It was a vile, suffocating hatred that almost sent Aang reeling, before he too got to his feet. Tonrar was not ready to quit, he had prepared to fight to the death, and Aang found himself suddenly inclined to offer him that. He had almost killed Tonrar before Koh had got involved, he could do it again. Koh had no place here, not right now. He took a deep breath, his fingers spreading as the ground beneath him began to shift in anticipation, coils of rock breaking free like ropes as Aang manipulated both element and energy.

"Aang," Katara breathed, her voice broken yet encouraging, knowing what she was asking of him. Knowing that it would ultimately destroy him. Knowing that they had no choice. Knowing that as long as Tonrar stood, their lives were over.

But, Tonrar it seemed had an entirely different plan in mind, and even as Aang prepared to attack, to throw everything he had at the spirit, Tonrar launched himself in a different direction, his legs expanding in that sickening red explosion as his body flew towards Katara so fast that Aang couldn't reach her. His eyes widened, arms outstretched as he yelled her name, pushing the ground and rock from beneath him, but he couldn't stop the spirit. He coudn't stop that wide mouth opening, ripping at the corners of Tonrar's face, couldn't stop those jaws from reaching Katara's throat until, suddenly, everything stopped. He heard Katara's weak cry, he heard the sharp inhale of breath followed by the bubble of a throat filled with blood, and he all but fell to the ground again at the sight in front of him.

Sansetsu stood between Tonrar and Katara, his large body shielding the waterbender, one hand raised up to his shoulder as he embedded something deep into Tonrar's chest. Aang recognised the handle of the knife buried in the spirit's heart, his hand reaching back to grasp at nothing, the whale tooth dagger had had carried long gone from it's place at his waist. A triumphant grin spread across Sansetsu's features, even as blood broke free from his lips.

"Take that, you fucking fuck," he snarled, his teeth stained but his eyes full of a manic joy that Aang had never seen before. Tonrar choked, his teeth pulling free from their placed embedded in Sunny's neck, leaning back to look into his eyes, his expression that of utter shock.

"A-Avatar S-S-Sanset-" but his voice broke into a cry of pain as Sunny pushed back, burying the knife to the hilt inside of Tonrar's chest before roughly pulling it free, his large leg reaching up to kick Tonrar in the stomach and throw him to the ground.

"Fuck ... you," Sansetsu spat, throwing the knife on the ground and reaching the same hand up to his heavily bleeding neck. His body began to sway, and he fell down to his knees, legs giving way beneath him.

"Sunny!"

Aang was at his side in an instant, grabbing the man to prevent him from falling flat on his face. Katara already had her hands on her flask, pulling the little water she had left free and reaching out to take his large hand away from neck.

"You can't heal that, kid," Sunny managed, his voice hoarse and bubbling through the blood filling his throat, his eyes remaining fixed on the figure of Tonrar laying before them. The spirit still breathing, achingly slow and broken.

"I don't ... I don't understand," Aang said, his hands gripping hard onto Sunny's waist and arms as he supported the large body against his own. "Y-your body-"

"Energy, same as yours," Sunny muttered back.

"Let Katara try," Aang said quickly. "Please-"

"No." Sansetsu's arm swiped out, his hand gripping hard to the fabric at Aang's chest. Aang could feel how much his hand was shaking, his face a picture of tension, hatred, unresolved heartache, his eyes only for Tonrar as the spirit lay spread on the ground, bleeding and gasping. "No."

Aang's eyes were dragged towards Tonrar too, his hand unconsciously reaching up to grip hold of the fist balled at his chest. Sunny's hands were cold and shaking, but he could feel the way he seemed to relax against him, and together the three of them watched as Tonrar took one final gasping breath, red eyes opened and staring up at the sky, before the spirit finally fell still.

"Good," Sunny breathing. "Good, I'm done."

Aang wanted to protest. He wanted to ask Sansetsu to stay, to hold on. He was sure, if Sunny had wanted it, this wouldn't be the end for him. Katara could help, he could help, but as he looked at the past-Avatar's face he saw a peace that he had never seen before. There was no smile, but the features of his face had softened, his body eased, as if the terrible weight he had held all these hundreds of years was finally lifted, and he knew that he couldn't ask that of him.

There were no final words, there wasn't even an acknowledgement of Aang and Katara either side of him, expect in the way that Sunny's hand shifted, gripping Aang's tight. Then, he let out a final breath, his silver eyes shutting for the last time, his body vanished and leaving them alone with Tonrar, and the choked cries of Innua as she lay on the stone.

 **A/N: I know this chapter took a long time to happen. I hope it's enough, because honestly I think it might have almost killed me.**


	36. Home

The red mist still swirled about them as they fell into an exhausted silence.

Where as the body of the past Avatar, Avatar Sansetsu, had disappeared into the ether, to become one with the energy of the spirit world, the body of Tonrar still lay on the marked stone, still and quiet and macabre. Even Innua had now run out of words to say, her swearing and screeching having died down and replaced by deep hicupping breaths as she crouched on the stone, remaining working palm flat upon the rough surface and staring out into nothing.

There could be no celebration, not even now. Tonrar was gone, but there was no satisfaction to be had from his death, not after all that they had learned, after all that they had seen, and the danger still ahead of them. Aang felt, in both equal parts, the villain and the victim of this whole sorry tale. He had been the target of Tonrar's wrath, forced to pay for something that he hadn't even had part in, but the Avatar Spirit had been the cause and it was hard to feel anything other than self loathing as his silver eyes looked down at those empty red ones. Tonrar was dead because of the Avatar Spirit, because of him, because of all that he was and all that the world demanded he be. Tonrar had been forced into a role he hadn't wanted, he had been forced to torture and consume the souls of hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe even more than that ... and it had driven him mad. No, this wasn't a victory. Not to him.

"Aang."

Katara's soft voice called to him, her breath stolen on the breeze, and slowly he turned his face to hers. The look she gave him was painful to behold ... there was an urgency there, he knew that she was worried most keenly of all for her friends and family now, but there was a sadness that shook him, and weakly he reached out, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently.

"For better of worse, it is done."

Koh's hoarse voice came now, the spirit having stayed silent until Innua's curses had stopped, and Aang felt the tight constriction in his chest as he now looked towards the spirit, faceless and weak. Truthfully, he wasn't sure whether Koh was a threat to them in this moment. After all, the spirit had agreed that that Avatar should be killed, just not now. If he allowed Koh to walk away now then would he be condemning an Avatar of the future to death? Would he be shifting his responsibilities to someone else, just as Roku had done with Sozin? He swallowed, his hands gripping into fists automatically. And yet, he knew that Koh was the only one who could fix the tear, who could save his friends, his family, and the rest of the human race. Enemy or no, they needed Koh.

He got to his feet, facing the spirit with all the strength he had remaining to him.

"So, what now?"

The question hung in the air, and all those there knew that he wasn't just referring to the tear. Koh was silent for a moment, his body hunched and turned away from him, before he finally spoke.

"Now, we fix the tear between our two worlds and we continue going about our separate ways," he responded. "You could kill me, of course, I imagine you're considering it. In my weakened state that would be easy for you, and with Tonrar now gone perhaps the future of the Avatar could be secured, but ..." Koh sighed, a sound so terrible coming from the gaping hole that was his face. "Well, that's for you to decide."

"I-I don't know what's for the best any more," Aang replied, his voice weak and shaking at his own honesty. "I don't know what the right thing to do is. I have so many questions, I need answers for once. But, they'll have to wait."

"Yes, they will."

Koh started to drag himself forward, his taloned limbs shaking beneath him as he moved, his body so obviously spent. Innua didn't move, and truthfully Aang didn't know what to do with her. Should they take her back with them? After all, she should answer for all that she had done to them back in their world, for helping to almost bring about the end of the entire human race, but was it safe to do so? Would it be safe to let her live?

"I can fix the tear," Koh continued, stopping just beside Innua, who roughly flinched when she realised that he was so close by, her hand gripping to her broken arm before she curled in on herself. "But to do so requires a huge amount of energy."

"That's fine," Aang said immediately, stepping forwards. "I can do that."

"No, I don't think that you can. Not in the way that you think. The spiritual energy even here is not enough for this. Without knowing the precise location of the original tear, I will need to form another for you to pass through, before placing the spiritual barrier back between both of our worlds. And even then ... this barrier will be weak. It will not take much for it to be broken again in the future."

Aang felt his stomach lurch again at this. The future. It didn't take a genius to realise that Koh was talking about the spirit held within the tree, the future that was to come when it broke free ...

"Then what will it take?"

Katara got to her feet beside him, her breathing somewhat unsteady and Aang shared her exasperation. Why did the spirit need to be so cryptic? Could be seal the tear or not?"

"I'll do it," Katara said, her voice quiet. Aang started, looking back at her and blinking in confusion.

"Do what? What are you talking about?"

"Are you sure?" Koh asked, his vacant face twisting to the side. "It would make much more sense for the Avatar to do it, don't you think? She'll be reborn, after all."

"No," Katara shook her head, her eyes glistening as she stood firm. "The world needs Aang, now more than ever. He can't ..." he words caught in her throat. "He can't die here."

"Die?" The word fell from Aang's mouth, his panic rising as he looked between the two of them. "Katara, what's going on?"

"It's ok, Aang," she said, her blue eyes settling on his as she forced a smile to her face. That only seemed to panic him more, and he grabbed her arms urgently. "I've known for a while that this is what it was going to take. I've accepted it."

"Well, I haven't," Aang snapped back, feeling angry now, and glaring over at Koh. "What are you talking about?"

"The most powerful source of energy in both worlds is life," Koh replied. "Do you remember when you first defeated Tonrar in the South Pole? Twelve spirits. Or one human. That is the price."

The ringing started in his ears, and for a moment he was unable to move, just staring dumbly back at Koh completely unable to comprehend what he was hearing. He did remember. And he remembered Sunny's tale, the very end of it, when Tonrar had tried to use him to create a tear even then using Gotami and the others he had taken. He remembered. He felt the arms in his hands shift, until finger tips were pressed against his cheek, and weakly he looked round. Katara's eyes were wide and swimming with tears, and yet her expression was determined, her lips fixed into a firm line.

"Aang, I saw this already ... back in the Spirit of Fortune. If this is the price of saving our friends, Sokka, my dad, you, then I'm ready to pay it. Please, just, let me be the one to sacrifice something this time. It can't be you, not again."

"No," Aang replied weakly, shaking his head, feeling the tears already burning in his eyes. "No, this can't- there's got to be another way-"

"There isn't," Koh replied coolly.

"No." His voice was firmer this time. "No, Katara, I won't." He pulled away from her, his body shaking. She wanted to save her friends, he knew that, he understood that, but he couldn't let it happen. He couldn't let her be taken from this world ... the world needed the Avatar, but _he_ needed her. His friends needed her far more than they needed him. He stood before Koh, his hands shaking as they curled into fists.

"Believe it or not, I have already given this thought," he said, his voice firm despite how much he shook with both anger and fear. "You intend to kill the Avatar, right? I guess you always have done. I can't let that be a problem for a future Avatar to face, I couldn't live with myself. Not after all I've had to face from the mistakes of my own past lives."

"Aang, don't do this," Katara whimpered.

"So, this works well for everyone, right?" he continued, not allowing himself to look back at her, knowing he was only a single glance away from breaking down. "Use me. My world can survive, Katara can survive, and you get to kill the Avatar-"

"I get to kill you, not the Avatar Spirit," Koh replied mildly. "Unless you die in the Avatar State she'll be reincarnated into the next human in the cycle. But, I won't lie, I would definitely get some satisfaction from killing you."

"No!" Katara yelled now, and Aang couldn't hold himself from looking to her, and his heart shattered. Her expression was wild and furious, desperate. "Koh, don't you fucking dare ... I swear I'll- I've made up my mind on this! You both need to stop being so selfish! The world needs it's Avatar, and it needs it now! It doesn't need me!"

"But I need you!" Aang yelled, his voice breaking. "Katara, you can't-"

"And what good does that do me if you're dead?" she hissed back. It hurt, it hurt so bad to see her looking at him this way, angry and heartbroken, her eyes pleading with him. "We're wasting time, our friends could be dying right now, Aang. I'm doing this. It's going to be me."

"Katara-" Aang's weak plea was interrupted by sudden laughter, and the both of them turned to see the body of Koh curled inwards on himself, the laughter high and painful sounding, the sound sending shivers down their spines.

"How selfless you both are, huh?" he said, after a moment. "Both arguing over who gets to die where in a few minutes it may not even matter anyway. You humans gained the favour of our most powerful spirit, and yet look at you. You're pathetic. So preoccupied by your own self inflated self of importance that you haven't even realised there is another option here."

"What?"

It was then that Koh pulled one of his long talons back, and Innua shifted, her head thrown up and her eyes wide as she realised a heartbeat before Aang did what was about to happen.

"No, Koh don't!"

But, it was too late, there was nothing that could be done as the talon thrust forwards, Katara letting out a surprised cry as blood exploded onto the ground, the sound of Innua's gasping breath leaving her throat as her wide blue eyes connected with Aang's. The talon was pulled back from her body, the gaping hole in her chest bleeding out and Aang was at her side in a moment, shaking hands grabbing her as she collapsed forward, eyes still wide and shocked as she gurgled her last breath, blood spilling from her lips and onto his chest. Katara stood still behind them, her breathing erratic and turning to sobs.

"She was going to die anyway," Koh replied offhandedly, the blood dripping from his talon. "There was no way any spirit here would have let her live after what she's done. I'd say I did her a kindness, wouldn't you? The half-bred mutt was finally useful for something."

Anger spread through him as he gently lay Innua onto the ground, his hands and clothing almost soaked with her blood at this stage, and yet somehow more gut churning than that was the slither of relief that he felt. Relief that at least this way Katara would live. He growled in his throat, turning his burning silver eyes to Koh, but the spirit had already turned away, his figure starting to glow with a blue light.

"I can open a tear for you both to pass through," he replied, Innua already forgotten. "I can't promise any accuracy, but is there a location that you would prefer?"

Aang couldn't reply, his hands too busy shaking, but Katara was thankfully far more level headed than he, and she replied through her sobbing breaths.

"The Fire Nation. C-capital."

"You should be able to pass through this tear and back to your world," Koh continued, before letting out a pained hiss and groan, his body trembling as the glow grew. Innua's body started to glow at Aang's side, and he took a hasty step back. "After that, I will close it and repair the barrier between our worlds."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Aang demanded. He held his hand out towards Innua as if in explanation. "How do I know that you'll shut it behind us?"

"I guess you don't," Koh replied. "But I didn't kill you, did I? Either of you?"

"Aang." Katara's voice was small, he looked over to her, and his shoulders sagged.

The wind suddenly began to pick up, before red mist started to form in the air once more, a sight that left Aang feeling shaky and nauseous, as the air before that began to thicken and pulsate, darkened until a dark gaping space appeared on the ground.

"I cannot keep this open for long," Koh said, his talons trembling with the effort and his voice gasping. "Go, Avatar. We'll meet again."

Katara reached out, grabbing his hand, and with one last look back at the bodies of Tonrar and Innua, and the spirit that he knew would remain his enemy not just in this life but his future, the two of them stepped into the tear.

The first overwhelming sensation that they felt as they stepped out of the spirit world, and back into their own, was vertigo, before their stomachs seemed dropped to their feet and the rush of wind hit them hard in the chests. For a moment, Aang wasn't able to make sense of what was going on around him, there was orange above, orange below, the sound of the air soaring by and the weightlessness across his limbs countered by the very real sensation of nausea. He was no stranger to flying through the air, to allowing gravity to pull him downwards, but it was still a shock to find himself in mid-air, high up above the dark umber of the ocean beneath them. He reached a hand out, looking about him to locate Katara, before her scream alerted him to her location, and with a push of the air from his hands he grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her close to him.

"Crash landing," he managed over the wind rushing through their hair and eyes, and she managed to stop screaming long enough to nod, her hands gripping hold of his arms for dear life. He'd like to think that Koh hadn't done this intentionally, but at this stage there was no telling what the spirit was capable of, and all he could do now was prepare a way for them to land in the water safely. He had mastery of the elements, of the wind about him, but even he was limited as to what he could do in this situation, and regardless he knew that it was going to hurt.

"Hold on to me!" he yelled, before pulling up the air below them, trying to slow their fall, and ready to pull the ocean up towards them to soften the landing, but then a sound so wondrous met his ears, and he looked up with a gasp.

"Appa!"

The large bison was souring towards them, roaring loudly as he came, those brown eyes piercing and keen as he angled his body low to get below them before they got too close to the water, and with a hand outstretched Aang was able to grab hold of the long fur of Appa's side, letting out a laugh of relief as he pulled himself and Katara onto the bison's back, the both of them falling gratefully onto him, Katara burying her face into his fur and sobbing with relief.

"Good catch, buddy!"

Appa groaned loudly, turning on his spot in the air, his great tail wagging and flapping and spoiling the otherwise smooth surface of the water below. Checking that Katara was ok first, Aang hurried up to Appa's head, he hand reaching down and pressing against the bison's cheek as Appa purred.

"How did he know we were here?" Katara managed at last, her hands still holding tight to Appa's fur.

"Not a clue," Aang admitted, pressing himself close to his friend, enjoying his warmth and the musty smell of his fur, not realising quite how much he had missed him until he felt the dampness on his cheeks. "Thanks, buddy."

Appa groaned, before angling himself towards the Capital with a fresh urgency. Both he and Katara looked forwards, and the relieved smile was soon wiped from Aang's face when he could see, even from this distance, the smoke raising up into the darkening sky. The Fire Nation capital was already under attack ... they could be too late.

"Aang, we have to hurry!" Katara cried, and he nodded.

"Right, yip yip, Appa."

But even as Appa made to rise higher over the ocean, the surface of the water began to stir, a curious dark shadow red glow coming from beneath it, and Appa let out a nervous groan.

"What is that?"

Aang didn't have a chance to reply before the water level began to rise, the surface tension keeping the water fixed in a growing dome that rose before Appa, cutting off their access to the city. Aang didn't need to grab onto Appa's horns or fur, the bison was already twisting in place, rising high and further away from the great mass that was emerging from the ocean, until they found themselves staring at a pair of large glowing red eyes upon something that only vaguely resembled a head, a smooth darkness that was only broken by the wide mouth below those eyes, reaching out towards them. The spirit's had gotten through, alright, and if this massive beast was anything to go by, their friends were in far more trouble than they could have even imagined. His teeth grit as the huge spirit rose it's head from beneath the waves, glowing eyes fixed hungrily upon them, before a hand broke free and almost in slow motion it swung behind them, as if intended to shovel them straight into the gaping chasm that was it's mouth.

Aang did the only thing he could think of in that moment, pulling the water up sharply beneath them, the pressure of it hitting Appa's underside and throwing them out of the reach of the spirit, that hand missing them by mere inches.

"Sorry, Appa!" he managed, hand holding tight to the fur beneath him, Katara's grip on the back of his tunic.

"Aang! We need to take care of this thing!" Katara yelled, quickly getting to her feet, her hands spread ready to control her element. "What can we do?"

His mind raced, watching as the great shadow of a spirit began to reach for them again. He'd never seen anything quite like it, it's body must be tens of feet tall beneath the waves, how was he supposed to stop something like this? With a sharp intake of breath, his eyes widened. He wasn't in the Spirit World any more but, was there a way ... could he ... was it still possible?

"Katara, wrap as much water around this thing as you can!" he yelled, also getting to his feet.

"What are you going to do?" she called back, wasting no time in pulling the ocean around them, spinning it faster and faster.

"I'm going to try and calm it like I did the spirits in the Spirit World!"

"Do you think you can do that here?" Her voice broke with the effort, Appa needing to take another sharp turn to avoid the swiping hand of the great spirit in front of them.

"I can try!"

With Katara's help, he started to pull yet more water from the ocean, and together they began to spin it round and around the head of the spirit. The water began to glow, and Aang glanced sideways to see the sweat dripping down Katara's temple, her healing energy being channeled into her bending and he had to thank her for her quick thinking. He took a deep breath, allowing his energy to reach out just as he had in the Spirit World, probing for the huge spirit in front of them.

It was far harder here in their world. The spiritual energy around them was finite, he had to search for it, in much the same way that he had search for the pieces of earth in rock, feeling his way through the air around them. The spiritual energy was not absent here, he could feel it, sense it, trying to find a way to connect himself to the spirit trying hard to grab them, to swallow them whole, and it was with a gasp that he finally found it, his head filling with heavy emotions ... with pain and grief and anger, just as it had done when he had tried to control Tonrar for the first time. He growled deep in his throat ... truthfully, he wasn't sure how many more times he could feel this connection with the spirits before it broke him. There was so much turmoil inside of them, inside of all of them, and it was only getting harder to counteract these feelings. With a deep breathe he eased the darkness, he injected whatever little calm and peace he had left inside of him, and slowly the beast began to slow. The glowing of it's eyes began to fade, and with a final gasp Aang let his hands drop. Katara was at his side in a heartbeat, supporting him as he felt his knees shake, the two of them watching as the spirit, now a pearly white, started to drop back into the ocean, the colourful sheen visible for just a few moments longer before it vanished into the deep.

"Are you ok?" Katara asked. He was exhausted, his legs were shaking from the effort, but they weren't done yet. He nodded.

"Let's go."

Appa didn't even need guiding, taking off at the sound of Aang's voice, his great tail beating and sending them soaring back over the ocean and towards the billowing smoke coming from the Fire Nation Capital. It was far worse than either of them could imagine.

They could easily see that lives had already been lost. There were bodies lying across the ground below them, both human and spirit, and Katara choked, her fingertips digging into Aang's forearm. The fight had already started, long before they had ever arrived here, and it only took a glance to see just how difficult a fight that had been. But what brought them the most horror, what left them both desperate and afraid, was seeing the pile of dark black spirits clambering over the top of one another, the smell of burning flesh and wood, the huge burst of flames that surrounded the entrance to the Capital's Palace.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, getting to her feet. Aang could see it, too. Zuko looked battered, exhausted, but he didn't let up, throwing flame after flame at the spirits. He wasn't the only one there ... other firebenders rallied around him, and it was only through their efforts that they were able to stop the mountain of spirits from breaking into the Palace.

"Katara, I'm not going to be able to calm all of them like this," he said, Appa souring high over the chaos ensuing below.

"I've got an idea," she said back. "Take us closer to the bay, we're going to need a lot of water."

He nodded, tapping Appa's left side, the bison veering off. He was doing his best not to panic, there'd be time for that later, right now his thoughts raced and the adrenaline buzzed, and he trust in Katara's ability to make the best call. With effort she began to raise water from the ocean again, and he stood at her side, the pair of them swaying as they built up a huge wave of sea water, the eerie glow casting shimmering shadows and lights upon the city and bodies below, the both of them trying hard not to notice.

"We'll freeze them," Katara grunted. "As many as we can."

"Got it."

It took all of their focus to keep huge weight of water suspended in the air. It was heavy, a great many tonnes, and should they slip the damage it could cause to the city below wouldn't be the worst of their troubles. But the sheer number of spirits that were threatening to break in, that Zuko was only just holding back, were beyond anything either of them could have imagined. It would take this ... it may take more ... to hold them back. And perhaps frozen, perhaps still, Aang would stand a chance at calming them all and sending the spirits away.

"You ready?" Aang yelled, and Katara nodded, as they swooped back by the Palace. Aang had time to see the way Zuko's flames had begun to fade, the Firelord's body starting to slump, before he saw wide amber eyes burn in his direction. Zuko's mouth fell open, his flames finally fading, as together Aang and Katara brought the water down and across, expertly controlling it's flow as it hit the spirits across the side. The sound of screeching was terrible, but their attack was quick and deadly, and the freezing wave crashed down upon them, sending cold clouds into the air.

After a moment, silence fell, as the screams stopped. It was a silence that was painful, the flickering of flames from the various fires lit across the city almost sickening. They had managed to freeze each of the spirits there, but Aang knew it was only a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds, before they started to break free, and he had to act quickly.

"I'll need to go into the Avatar State," he said. Katara's breath caught in her throat, but she nodded her head once, expression firm.

"I've got you."

He shut his eyes again, his hands outstretched, feeling out with his own spiritual energy again. Katara was at his side, he could sense her healing energy once more, could feel the glow coming from the mass beneath them against his eyelids. The pain the grief ... his eyes scrunched together, his chest aching so badly he was afraid it would burst. It was so much, so great. The souls beneath him were so tormented and so broken. It was never that he hadn't considered that the spirits were capable of as much emotion and turmoil as humans but, somehow, it had never occurred to him that maybe they needed help to. Maybe the spirits needed guidance just as much as humans did, as _he_ did. The spirit world was broken, and it needed fixing, it needed time and patience, it needed him just as much as this world did, and the Avatar had neglected that fact for far too long. It seemed to be at this thought that the rush of energy passed between himself and the spirits, and he passed swiftly into the Avatar State, his tattoos glowing so vibrantly that Katara had to squint and shield her eyes beside him. After a moment, the ice began to melt, he could hear the panic coming from the people below him, but Katara was quick to call at, to tell them not to attack. It was immense, intense, his arms shook through the effort, but the calm began to spread, and the spirits began to slow. Their rich purple skin began to shimmer, the glowing in their eyes fading, until one by one they started to turn away.

When Appa touched down, it was with mixed relief and exhaustion that Aang finally stepped foot back on the earth of his world, stumbling slightly as Katara supported him from his side. His tired silver eyes looked up, and he met Zuko's gaze. The Firelord looked just as tired as he felt, but the pair of them both managed to stumble forwards, and in relief he and his friend embraced, the smell of blood and fire clinging to Zuko as he wrapped heavy arms around his shoulders.

"Cut it a little tight there, buddy," Zuko said, in a hoarse voice, before he pair broke apart.

"Yeh," Aang managed. "Sorry about that."

"Katara-" Zuko was interrupted by she wrapping her hands around him as well, Aang watching as her fingertips dug into the Firelord's shoulders, as if trying to convince herself that he was there, that all of this was real. That if she let go for even a second they would be dragged back into the hell they had spend the last several months living through.

"Are you ok?" she mumbled, her face pressed against his neck. "Is everyone ..." she pulled away, suddenly holding Zuko's at arms distance. Her expression was panicked, fearful. "Zuko, is everyone-"

"Katara!"

Both she and Aang looked up to see three figures rushing towards them.

"Dad!"

She sprinted past Zuko and Aang, throwing her arms around her father, tears falling swiftly down her cheeks, and Aang felt a lump forming in his throat. Suki stopped in front of them, but the look on her face froze him.

"Suki?" he questioned. "What ... what is it?"

"Katara," Hakoda said. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry ..."

"Sorry?" Katara stepped back, only now seeing Suki, and Aang watched as her face paled. "Sokka. Wait, where is he?"

 _No_. Aang's heart stopped beating in that moment. _No, he couldn't ... it can't be ..._

"I can take you to him," came a third voice, one that Aang didn't recognise at first. "But we need to go quickly."

For a long moment, Aang didn't know who it was that he was looking at, taking in the sight of a strong jawline, a broken nose, and a mess of dreadlocks, but Katara's growl jostled his memory. She stormed forwards, the air around them growing cold as her teeth bared, her expression darker than he had ever seen it.

"You," she snarled, her hands gripping the front of the man's tunic. He was far bigger than her, and Aang was quick to light the flame on his palms as he swept forwards beside her, ready to back her up if she needed it. The man's eyes widened in shock, darting quickly between the hands fisted at his neck and the flame in the Avatar's hand. "What did you do to him?"

"Wh-whoa, wait, you got the wrong-"

"You better answer her," Aang snarled, his voice sounding very much unlike his own. This man ... this was the man that had helped Innua kidnap Katara. This was the man who had held a knife to her throat, who had cut her ... he wasn't sure what he was doing here, but he was not about to let him get away.

"Katara, Aang!" Hakoda spoke now, hurrying forwards. A large arm was thrust between the pair of them and Kanto. "It wasn't Kanto. I'll explain everything, I promise, but we don't have time!"

"Sokka, Toph, and Xing Ying are in a cave not far from here," Kanto said quickly. "Please, let me take you to him."

Aang's flame dropped, knowing that if Hakoda was willing to trust the man, to hold him back, then the situation was either far dire than he thought or ... maybe they had reason to trust this man. Katara's expression was torn, hatred dripping from her features as she looked up at the man who had kept her prisoner, who had cut her throat, had helped Innua humiliate her, but she needed to get to Sokka. She had seen it, had she not? In the Spirit of Fortune, she had seen Sokka's body. A dry sob broke her lips.

"Let's go."

Kanto was quick to jump up on Appa's head, Aang, Katara, Zuko, Hakoda and Suki following him, and Appa was off in an instant. It was perhaps telling of desperate a situation this was that Zuko wasted no time coming with them, leaving Mamoru in charge for the moment after the destruction of his city.

"What happened?" Katara asked, turning to her dad.

"He was hit by a spirit," Zuko said, bringing her attention to him. "I'm not ... I'm not going to lie to you, Katara, it's bad."

"How far away is this cave?" Suki asked, her voice shaking terribly as she tried to keep herself together.

"Not far," Kanto replied from Appa's head. "We're almost there."

Katara didn't even wait for Appa to land before she threw herself off the side of the bison, landing on the hard stone as the stopped before the cave. A fire was coming from inside, and Aang was next to the chase, his body suddenly no longer fatigued, intent only on being at Katara's side, on helping her however she needed, of seeing that his friend was ok. The sight that met him would be one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Toph was sat on the ground, her body crouched over, her face pale as tears dripped down her face. Against her lap, his head rested against her legs, was the still and bloody body of Sokka. His eyes were shut, his face a ghostly white. There was dried blood around his lips, dripped down onto his chest, and the sound of his rattled, labored breathing was perhaps the most awful thing that Aang had ever heard in his life.

"K-Katara?" came the small, broken voice of Toph, her face angling upwards.

"It's me," Katara replied, hurrying to her side. It was perhaps testament to her strength, her resolve, her unwavering braveness, that Katara did not break down then and there.

"He-he won't wake up," Toph whimpered. "W-we tried to keep him awake but he ... he fell asleep, and h-he won't ... he won't ..."

Katara placed her hands on Sokka's forehead, and Aang couldn't help but admire how little they shook.

"Tell me what you need," he asked immediately.

"Water," she replied, and he got to his feet, pushing quickly past the group at the entrance. Hakoda and Suki were frozen in place, their expression's grief stricken, and it was probably only his desire to be as helpful as possible that kept him moving in that moment, dropping more causally into the Avatar State than he had done for a very long time as he brought sea water the huge distance below them, so that he could be back at her side in just a few moments.

"Does anyone know what happened? What happened exactly?" Katara demanded, taking the water from him before letting it cover Sokka's vital points, the glow wrapping across his chest and his head.

"A spirit," Zuko replied, his voice shaking. "A big one, it hit him in the chest and sent him back into a building. He, uh-" Zuko took a deep breath, as if trying to steady himself. "He said he took a hit to head before that and, uh, his ribs were probably broken, he said his shoulder hurt."

"H-how long ago was this?" Katara asked, keeping the glow across him. She had yet to touch him, inspect his wounds, no doubt just wanting to stabilise him as best she could, to get a better idea of what she could be dealing with.

"Fuck," Zuko said, swearing uncharacteristically as he reached up, running a hand through his hair. "I don't ... there's been so much going on, about an hour? Maybe less? I'm sorry, Katara ... I don't-" Zuko's voice broke, and Aang looked back to him. It had been such a long time she he had last seen Zuko in a state such as this.

"There's a deep wound in the right side of his chest," Kanto offered, the mans voice far calmer. Aang turned his focus to him now. He felt the hackles rising on the back of his neck, but the honesty in Kanto's face was obvious even at this stage. "I'm pretty sure the spirit punctured one of his lungs, his shoulder dislocated if not broken. He was still lucid and smart mouthing when I found him and sent him back here on Appa."

Aang's eyes immediately snapped back to Zuko at those words. _Found him?_ Zuko visibly winced, his eyes now wet as he glanced over at Suki. Katara, however, chose to let those words pass her by for just a moment.

She reached forward, grabbing Sokka's tunic.

"Aang, could you?"

Aang reached to his back pocket, to where he had been habitually keeping the knife that Hakoda had given him before he realised with a jolt to the stomach that it was still back in the spirit world, still blood stained and lying on the stone.

"Here," Hakoda said, knowing what Katara was after and handing him his knife instead. Aang took it, leaning forwards to cut open the front of Sokka's shirt, revealing the huge black and purple bruise that spread across the entire of his chest, and the red and weeping wound where the spirit had caught him. Suki gasped and whimpered, and Aang immediately felt his hands start to shake at the sight of it, looking quickly up at Katara. Her eyes were wide, taking in the damage.

"That's ... _spirits_ ," she breathed, and he could see the panic start to take hold, start to take control. He reached out, grabbing her hand.

"Deep breath," he said. "You've got this."

She swallowed, her wide blue eyes drifting to the scar across his face for a moment, before she nodded. She reached up, brushing the tears angrily from her face, before letting the salt water coat her hands against, pressing her hand against the wound.

"It's a deep wound," she muttered, talking herself through the process to calm herself down. "All his ribs on this side are shattered ... there's one ... no, two tears in the lung. Spirits, I don't ... I can heal that, I think. But the broken bones? I can only do so much without ... shit, unless I can get _in_ there I can't do anything other than guide the healing."

"The bleeding," Aang said, gesturing to Sokka's face. "Is that just from this?"

Katara shut her eyes, pressing further, reaching out across Sokka's body as she looked for more damage. "I think so," she said, with some relief. "I need to heal his lung now, he'll die if it's left any longer."

"I-is there anything we can do?" came a soft voice, and Aang glanced over to see that Xing Ying was also in the room.

"Not yet," Katara replied. "I just ... I need some time, some focus."

The room fell silent as Katara worked, Aang keeping his focus even spread between Sokka and Katara, keeping an eye on her as much as him. He knew how exhausted she already was, her healing took a lot out of her has it was, and this was not going to be an easy heal for her. He glanced up at the rest of the group. Hakoda had his arm around Suki, the two of them watching with red rimmed eyes, but it was Zuko that took his attention. The Firelord had taken himself off, sitting in the dark of the cave, his face in his hands.

Fifteen minutes later, Katara let out a relieved breath of air, leaning back.

"That's it," she said. "I've closed up the tears."

Aang offered her a comforting smile, reaching out and taking her bloody hand before squeezing it. She nodded. But then, things swiftly took a turn for the worse, Sokka's breathing growing that more labored, as he began to cough and choke. Katara darted up, eyes widening, panicked.

"Wh-what's happening?" Toph squeaked, her hands dropping to Sokka's shoulders, trying to steady him.

"I don't- I don't- _the blood_!" Katara cried. "Aang, help me roll him over."

Careful not to put any pressure on Sokka's right side, Aang gripped Sokka by the waist, leaning him to the side, and with notable relief Sokka began to gasp and choke less, coughing much easier. He tried not to look too hard at the blood coming from his mouth, and Sokka's face scrunched up, his legs kicking weakly for a moment before his arms leaned forward, one hand gripping hold of Aang's forearm with a strength that was altogether so comforting. Sokka continued to cough, until the blood seem to run dry, and instead a hoarse groan broke from his lips.

"Sokka!" Katara cried, her hand on his cheek. "Sokka, can you hear me?"

"K-Katara?" Sokka's eyes opened, slit and and shining blue. His breathing was still heavy, his inhales deep and ragged. He looked between Aang and Katara for a moment, steadying his breath.

"Y-you guys l-look terrible," he wheezed, and Aang couldn't stop the grin that came to his face, Katara letting out a relieved laugh.

 **A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates, everyone, I know that was a bad place to leave you all hanging! You know how life gets sometimes, and I've got a huge month ahead of me that's left so little time for writing.**

 **We are almost at the end now, perhaps just a couple of chapters to finish everything up. Thank you to everyone who has stuck by all this time.**


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